What Does “Who” Mean

“Who” is a question word used to ask about a person or people. It is also used as a relative pronoun to give more information about a person.

In daily English, people use “who” when they want to know someone’s identity or when they are talking about a person in a sentence. For example, you might ask, “Who is calling?” or say, “The woman who lives next door is kind.”

Meaning & Usage

Use “who” when the answer should be a person. It is common in questions, conversations, and writing.

Examples

Question: Who is your teacher?
Relative pronoun: The man who helped me was very nice.

Who do you call when you need help?

You use “who” to ask about a person. The answer should be a name or a person’s role.

Can “who” be used in statements?

Yes. It is often used to describe a person in a sentence, like “She is the one who called me.”

Is “who” for people only?

Yes, “who” is used for people, not things or animals.