who
gb/hˈu/ us/hˈu/
A1
English
~ 100
Senses
0 senses
pronoun
A1
relation
1
person being referred to
Used to talk about the person someone means or is asking about.
Usage pattern:
who [verb/clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'who' and 'whom'. 'Who' is used for subjects, while 'whom' is used for objects.
Synonyms
whom (More formal and used as the object of a verb or preposition.)
Collocations
who is
|who are you
|know who
Themes
communication
|grammar
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Who is coming to the meeting?
- I don't know who called me.
- She’s the one who helped me with my homework.
Learner examples
- Who is your teacher?
- I don’t know who is at the door.
- He is the man who lives next door.
pronoun
A2
relation
2
person doing an action
Used to talk about a person that does something in a sentence.
Usage pattern:
[noun] who [verb/clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes omit 'who' in relative clauses, making sentences incomplete.
Synonyms
that (Can also introduce defining clauses, but less personal when referring to people.)
Collocations
the one who
|people who
|those who
Themes
communication
|grammar
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
- Students who study hard usually do well.
- He’s someone who really cares about his friends.
Learner examples
- The boy who plays football is my friend.
- I know a man who can help you.
- People who eat too much sugar can get sick.
Grammar
Expressions
guess who
1/ɡˈɛs hˈu/
fixed phrase
informal
identify person by guessing
Said when you want someone to guess which person you are talking about, often for fun or surprise.
Examples
- Guess who I saw at the mall today?
- Guess who’s coming to dinner tonight!
who knows
1/hˈu nˈoʊz/
fixed phrase
informal
express uncertainty
Used to say that no one can be sure about something.
Examples
- Who knows what will happen tomorrow?
- Maybe she will come back, but who knows?
who's who
1/hˈuz hˈu/
fixed phrase
list of notable people
A list or description of important people in a group or area.
Examples
- The guide gives you an idea of who's who in the company.
- He quickly learned who's who in the art world.