Key Facts
- Hangul: 누구; Revised Romanization: nugu
- Part of speech: pronoun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral. Honorific counterpart is 어느 분 / 누구세요.
Who in Korean: What Does 누구 Mean?
누구 asks about a person, and the register is neutral. The honorific counterpart is 어느 분, or 누구세요 when asking politely who someone is. When 가 follows, 누구 changes shape to 누가.
How Do You Pronounce 누구?
Two syllables, nu and gu, said "nugu". Both vowels are the same u sound, and between vowels the ㄱ sounds like a soft g rather than a k.
Example Sentences with 누구
누구예요?
Nuguyeyo?
Who is it?
예요 completes a very short question, the line people say through a door.
저 사람은 누구예요?
Jeo sarameun nuguyeyo?
Who is that person?
저 사람은 means "that person over there", and the question asks for the name.
누구를 기다려요?
Nugureul gidaryeoyo?
Who are you waiting for?
기다려요 means wait, and 를 marks 누구 as the object, so it asks who you are waiting for.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The list shows polite, indefinite and "with whom" forms.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 누구세요? | Who is it? (polite) |
| 누구나 | anyone |
| 누구와 | with whom |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: 누구가 as the subject form.
Correct: 누가, because 누구 and 가 merge. Only the subject form changes, so 누구를 and 누구와 keep the full stem.
누구 Compared with Similar Words
누가 is the subject form. 어느 분 is the polite "which person". 아무 appears in 아무도, which with a negative verb means nobody.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 누가 | who (subject) | 누구 + 가 becomes 누가. |
| 어느 분 | which person (polite) | Polite 'who'. |
| 아무 | anyone | Common in 아무도 with a negative verb: "nobody". |
Background on 누구
Korean grows a polite form out of the same stem. 누구세요 is the polite way to ask who is at the door or on the phone, and 누구와 means with whom. 누구나 means anyone, and 아무도 means nobody, so who-words also cover the idea of any person at all.
At a Station: Who Are You Meeting?
Two friends are waiting near the station entrance. One asks who the other is waiting for, then asks who will arrive first.
Friend A
누구를 기다려요?
Nugureul gidaryeoyo?
Who are you waiting for?
Friend B
동생을 기다려요.
Dongsaengeul gidaryeoyo.
I am waiting for my younger sibling.
Friend A
누가 먼저 와요?
Nuga meonjeo wayo?
Who is coming first?
Friend B
동생이 먼저 와요.
Dongsaengi meonjeo wayo.
My younger sibling is coming first.
The first question uses 누구를 because the missing person is the object of “wait for”. The second uses 누가 because that person does the arriving. In the answers, 동생 fills the same slot: 동생을 for the person being waited for and 동생이 for the person arriving. You can choose the right form by imagining the answer before asking.
Which Form of 누구 Fits Your Question?
누구 does not move to the front just because it means “who”. Korean usually keeps a question word where the answer would go. In 저 사람은 누구예요?, the person is already the topic; the speaker wants their identity. In 누구를 기다려요?, the person is the missing object of the verb.
| Form | Meaning | What it asks about |
|---|---|---|
| 누가 | who | The person doing something. |
| 누구를 | whom / who | The person affected by the action. |
| 누구의 | whose | The owner of something. |
| 누구한테 | to whom / from whom | A person receiving something, or a source with verbs such as “receive”. |
누구 거예요? means “Whose is it?” Here 거 means “thing”, and the owner is the missing information. This is useful when someone has left a bag or umbrella behind. It differs from 누구예요?, which asks a person's identity rather than who owns an object.
Where Will You Hear 누구, and How Polite Is It?
At a door or on a phone call, 누구세요? asks the other person to identify themselves. The ending shows respect toward that person. 누구예요? is also polite in its ending, but it lacks that honorific marking. It can ask about someone in a photo or someone the speakers can both see.
A bare 누구? is casual and very short. With a stranger, a complete question gives more context. Names and roles are both possible answers: a delivery worker might identify their job, while someone looking at a class photo might give a name. “Who” does not always request a full personal name.
When Does 누구 Stop Meaning a Question?
누구나 means “anyone” or “everyone”, with the sense that there is no restriction on the person. On an event notice, it can introduce open participation. The 나 is part of that expression; it is not the subject marker 가, and 누구나 is not another spelling of 누가.
누군가 means “someone”. In a story, it introduces a person whose identity is unknown or unstated. 아무도 with a negative verb means “nobody”. These expressions let you follow a scene even before a character's identity is revealed: an unknown person, any person, and no person are three different ideas.
Other Question Words to Learn with 누구
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 뭐 | what | Ask about a thing rather than a person. |
| 어디 | where | Ask for a place or location. |
| 언제 | when | Ask for a time. |
| 어느 | which | Choose from a set, as in 어느 분, “which person”. |
The question words lesson brings these together. If you already know that one of two people is the teacher, “which person” narrows the choice. 누구 can ask more openly who a person is, without presenting a fixed set of candidates.
Quick Self-Test
- Which form asks who is doing the action: 누구를 or 누가?
- You find an umbrella. Does 누구 거예요? ask its owner or its location?
- Does 누구나 mean “someone” or “anyone”?
Show answers
- 누가 asks for the person doing the action.
- Its owner: “Whose is it?”
- “Anyone”. 누군가 means “someone”.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say who in Korean?
Say 누구 (nugu).
What is the subject form?
누가, not 누구가.
How do I ask politely?
Say 누구세요.
What does 누구나 mean?
Anyone.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the question words list places who with what and where.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Next in the list: the page for where.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.