誰(だれ)

だれ

pronoun

who

1. who

A question word asking about the identity of a person.

あの人(ひと)は誰(だれ)ですか？

Who is that person?

誰(だれ)が来(き)ましたか？

Who came?

誰(だれ)でも参加(さんか)できます。

Anyone can participate.

誰でも = anyone

誰(だれ)かがドアをノックしています。誰(だれ)だろう？

Someone is knocking on the door. I wonder who it is?

誰か = someone

この写真(しゃしん)の人(ひと)は誰(だれ)ですか？私(わたし)の友達(ともだち)は誰(だれ)も知(し)らないと言(い)っています。

Who is this person in the photo? My friends say that none of them know.

誰も + negative = no one

Register

誰(だれ): standard/casual
どなた: polite form (used with customers, superiors)
どちらさま: very polite (formal situations)

Common patterns

誰(だれ)か: someone, somebody
誰(だれ)も + negative: no one, nobody
誰(だれ)もが + positive: everyone (誰(だれ)もが知(し)っている, everyone knows)
誰(だれ)でも: anyone, everybody
誰(だれ)が + verb: Who did X?
誰(だれ)の + noun: Whose X?
誰(だれ)に: to whom?

Usage

In indirect questions, 誰(だれ) can appear mid-sentence: 誰(だれ)が来(く)るか分(わ)からない (I don't know who's coming).

Related Words

See also: 何(なに)

See also: どこ

See also: いつ

Keigo: どなた (polite)

Keigo: どちら様(さま) (polite)

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:16 · Revised 2026.10.5 5:08

00500/00534_dare