Meaning and Usage
'누구' is the Korean interrogative pronoun meaning 'who'. It is used to ask about a person’s identity or to inquire about which person is involved in an action.
Common Contexts
You will often hear '누구' in questions like '누구세요?' (Who is it?) when answering the door or phone. It is polite and commonly used in everyday conversation.
Collocations and Patterns
- 누구세요? — a polite way to ask 'Who is it?'
- 누구와 함께 — 'with whom', used to ask about companions
- 누구인지 모르다 — 'not know who (someone) is'
Notes
'누구' is always used for people, never for objects or animals. Avoid confusing it with '무엇' (what) or '어디' (where). When combined with particles like '와/과' (and/with), it helps form questions about relationships or companions.
Common Mistake
Learners sometimes use '누구' when referring to things or places, but remember it only refers to people. For things, use '무엇' or '뭐', and for places, use '어디'.