Spanish Conversation · Level 7
87 words
Spanish word
quien
Pronunciation
IPA/kjen/
Meaning
- pronounwho
Example
Fue Ana quien organizó la fiesta.
It was Ana who organized the party.
More examples
Quiero saber de quien hablas.
I want to know of whom you're talking.
Core concept
A person already mentioned, pointed back to in the clause that follows.
Common phrases
de quien
of whom
con quien
with whom
Similar words
quién: Asks who one specific person is or who acted.
quiénes: Asks who two or more people are or who acted.
cuál: Asks which choice or item from a set is meant.
Definition in Spanish
Se refiere a una persona ya mencionada; con tilde, quién, introduce preguntas.
Word origin
From Latin quis/quem, passing through Old Spanish quen and evolving into modern Spanish quién, later marked with an accent in writing to signal its interrogative use.
Usage tips
- Quién with an accent marks direct or indirect questions or exclamations, while quien without an accent is the relative pronoun, and the plural form is quiénes.
Opposites
- nadieno onepronoun