1.
this person and that; anyone and everyone; whoever
Refers indiscriminately to various people without specifying who. Often used with なく or かまわず to express doing something without regard to who is involved.
誰彼なく話しかける。
To talk to anyone and everyone.
誰彼かまわず愚痴をこぼす人がいる。
There are people who complain to anyone who will listen.
彼女は誰彼なく優しく接するので、みんなに好かれている。
She treats everyone kindly without exception, so everyone likes her.
A compound of 誰 (who) and 彼 (that person), meaning "this person and that person" — i.e., anyone without distinction. Most commonly appears in the pattern 誰彼なく (without regard to who).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 誰彼なく: to anyone; indiscriminately
- 誰彼かまわず: without caring who; regardless of who
- 誰彼となく: from various people; from no one in particular
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 誰でも: anyone; everybody — more common in everyday speech
- 誰にでも: to anyone — similar meaning but more colloquial
- 不特定多数: unspecified large number of people — formal, often administrative
REGISTER:
Somewhat literary and formal. More common in written language than casual speech. The pattern 誰彼なく is the most frequently encountered usage.