pronoun

quien

who · the one who · whom

Se usa para preguntar o hablar sobre una persona cuya identidad no se conoce.

Definition & meaning

Quien is a relative pronoun in Spanish that translates to "who" or "whom" in English. It is used exclusively to refer to people or personified entities, never to inanimate objects or animals. Its primary function is to introduce a subordinate clause that provides more information about a person previously mentioned in the sentence.

When it carries a written accent, quién functions as an interrogative or exclamatory pronoun. This version is used to ask for the identity of a person in direct or indirect questions (e.g., Who is there?) or to express emphasis in exclamations.

Grammar & Word origin

Unlike the relative pronoun que, which is invariable, quien has a plural form: quienes. It must always agree in number with the person or people it refers to.

It is commonly used in two specific grammatical situations:

After a preposition such as a, con, de, or para.
In non-restrictive relative clauses, which are phrases set off by commas that provide extra information about a person.

The word originates from the Latin accusative pronoun quem, which is derived from the nominative quis, meaning "who."

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms: Depending on the context and the gender of the person being referred to, it can be replaced by el que, la que, los que, or las que. In formal writing, it is often substituted by el cual or la cual. In many informal instances, the simple relative pronoun que serves as a synonym when no preposition is involved.
Antonyms: As a pronoun, it does not have a direct grammatical opposite. Conceptually, if "quien" refers to someone, its functional contrast is nadie, which refers to "no one" or "nobody."