誰
who, someone, somebody
Readings
On'yomi
- スイ
Kun'yomi
- だれ
- たれ
- た
Meaning
誰 centers on questioning or referring to an unspecified person: asking who someone is, or talking about an unknown someone or somebody.
Most common words using 誰
20 of 37- 誰だれN5
who
- 誰彼だれかれ
this or that person; anybody; many people
- 誰かだれかN5
someone; somebody
- 誰でもだれでも
anyone; anybody; everyone; everybody; whoever
- 誰にでもだれにでも
anyone; anybody; everyone; whoever
- 誰にもだれにも
to anyone; to everyone
- 誰もだれも
everyone; anyone
- そして誰もいなくなったそしてだれもいなくなった
And Then There Were None (1938 novel by Agatha Christie)
- どこの誰どこのだれ
who the heck; just who
- 彼は誰時かわたれどき
dawn; daybreak
- 誰々だれだれ
so-and-so
- 誰あろうだれあろう
none other than; ... himself; ... herself
- 誰うまだれうま
nice!; very good!; so witty!; that's clever
- 誰かさんだれかさん
a certain someone; you-know-who
- 誰がたが
whose
- 誰がために鐘は鳴るたがためにかねはなる
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940 novel by Ernest Hemingway)
- 誰が為にたがために
for whom
- 誰が見てもだれがみても
as anyone can see
- 誰しもだれしも
everyone; anyone
- 誰それだれそれ
a certain someone; Mr So-and-so
Study
Etymology
誰 combines 言 (speech, words) with 隹, which likely contributes the sound. The character expresses the idea of asking or speaking about an unidentified person.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 言 represents words or speech, and the right side 隹 looks like a bird. Imagine asking 'who?' while pointing at a bird you can't identify: 誰 is the question word for an unknown person.
Reading mnemonic
For スイ, picture a detective asking 'who?' while sipping a drink: sip -> スイ, and the question hangs in the air.