quien

See also: quién

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin quĕm, accusative of quī.

Pronoun

quien

1. (relative pronoun) who (who (relative pronoun))

Norman

Etymology

From Old French kien, itself from Latin canis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k(j)ĩ/, /k(j)ɛ̃/, /tʃĩ/

Noun

quien m (plural quiens)

1. dog

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin quĕm, accusative of quī, from Old Latin quei, from Proto-Italic *kʷoi, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷis, *kʷos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkjen/ [ˈkjẽn]

• Audio (Mexico):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -en
• Syllabification: quien

Pronoun

quien (relative pronoun, plural quienes)

1. who

   La mujer con quien se casó

   The woman whom he married

2. (construed with a) whom

   La persona a quien yo amo

   The person whom I love

3. whoever; whomever; anyone who

   Quienes digan así…

   Anyone who says that…

   No te fíes de quien no dice la verdad.

   Do not trust anyone who does not tell the truth.

4. the one who

   Synonym: el que

   ¿Eres tú quien ha de venir?

   Are you the one who is to come?

   ¡Soy yo quien llama a la puerta!

   I am the one who knocks!

Usage notes

• Written with an accent mark (quién) when interrogative.

Derived terms

• cada quien
• no hay quien
• quien más, quien menos

 

Further reading

• “quien”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10