who

whopronoun

Who either asks about a person's identity or links a clause back to a person just named.

1. asking whoused to ask the name or identity of a person or people

   Who asks about a person's identity, as the subject or the object of a verb or preposition: Who called?, Who did you see? Who is standard for the object in ordinary speech and writing; the more formal object form whom is mainly heard in careful writing and directly after a preposition: Whom did you see?, To whom did you speak?

   • Who is that man over there?
   • Who called while I was out?
   • Who did you invite to the party?
   • I don't know who broke the vase.

   Collocations

   phrase who's who, guess who

   Compare whom (whom is a more formal object form, used mainly in careful writing and directly after a preposition); what (what asks about a thing or an idea, not a person)

   For translators (sense 1)

   Grammar trap English distinguishes subject who from object whom only in formal use; many languages keep no such distinction, or mark it differently, for their word asking about a person.

2. referring backused to introduce a clause that gives more information about a person just mentioned

   Who stands for a person already named. With a comma before it, the clause adds extra information that could be left out; without one, it narrows down which person is meant.

   • The man who lives next door is a doctor.
   • My sister, who works in another city, is visiting this week.
   • Anyone who wants to come is welcome.
   • The woman who called earlier left her number.

   Synonyms that (that can replace who only when the clause has no comma before it)

   Compare which (which is used for things and ideas; who is used for people)

See also whom