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Question
The interrogative pronoun shéi (shuí) 谁/誰 ‘who’ can stand independently in the sentence as subject or object to form a question about persons. In questions using the interrogative pronoun shéi (shuí) 谁/誰, the question particle ma 吗/嗎 is not used at the end of the sentence.
As a subject
As an object
In prepositional phrases
The interrogative pronoun shéi (shuí) 谁/誰 ‘who’ can also follow prepositions, such as gēn 跟 ‘with’, duì 对/對 ‘to’ gěi 给/給 ‘for; to’, forming a prepositional phrase.
Also check prepositional phrase with gēn 跟 ‘with’.
Also check prepositional phrase with duì 对 ‘towards, to’,
Also check prepositional phrase with gěi 给 ‘to, for’.
As a modifier with the structural particle de 的
When the interrogative pronoun shéi (shuí) 谁/誰 ‘who’ modifies a noun, it stands before this noun and the structural particle de 的 is usually placed between them. The construction shéi de (shuí de) 谁的/誰的 usually means ‘whose’.
A noun phrase composed of the interrogative pronoun shéi (shuí) 谁/誰 ‘who’, the structural particle de 的 and a noun can often serves as the object in the sentence.
As an object
When the noun is obvious from the context, for example when it is precisely described at the beginning of the sentence, it is usually omitted after shéi de (shuí de) 谁的/誰的 ‘whose’. In such a sentence shéi de (shuí de) 谁的/誰的 is used independently as an object.
Functions
1. Shéi (shuí) 谁/誰 ‘who’ asking about people
Shéi (shuí) 谁/誰 ‘who’ is used to ask about people. For example, to ask about people’s identity.
It can refer to one person or to several people.
2. Expressing generalization
In this kind of sentence, it is followed by yě 也 ‘also’ or dōu 都 ‘all’ and expresses the meaning that there is no exception to the scope indicated in the sentence or by context.
The scope of shéi (shuí) 谁/誰 in the following sentences can be inferred from the context.
3. Expressing negative generalization
In this kind of sentence, it is followed by an adverb yě 也 ‘also’ or dōu 都 ‘all’ and expresses the meaning, that there is no exception to the scope indicated in the sentence or by context. The meaning is similar to méi yǒu rén 没有人 / 沒有人 ‘there is nobody who’ / ‘nobody’.
The scope of shéi/shuí 谁/誰 in the following sentences can be inferred from the context.