Japanese Conversation · Level 23
90 words
Japanese word
誰
Pronunciation
Romajidare
Meaning
- pronounwho
Example
あの人は誰ですか？a no hito wa dare de su ka
Who is that person?
More examples
これは誰ですか。ko re wa dare de su ka
Who is this?
その荷物は誰のですか。so no ni motsu wa dare no de su ka
Whose luggage is that?
Core concept
誰 (dare, "who") identifies an unknown person by asking which person they are.
Common phrases
誰をdare o
whom
誰のdare no
whose
誰にdare ni
to whom
誰とdare to
with whom
Similar words
どなたdonata: Asks about the identity of a person in a polite way.
Definition in Japanese
人がだれであるかを尋ねる語。hito ga da re de a ru ka o tazu ne ru go
Word origin
The native Japanese pronoun 誰 (dare, "who") developed from the older form たれ (tare), and the kanji 誰 is used for its written form.
Usage tips
- In everyday speech, 誰 (dare) is neutral, while どなた (donata) asks the same question more politely.