누구

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Meaning

  • Who
  • Somebody

Used as a Question

Depending on the intonation, 누구 can mean either 'who' or 'somebody'. If the sentence starts with a high pitch and ends with a downward intonation, then it is an interrogative pronoun meaning 'Who ... ?' However if the rising intonation comes at the end, it is a indefinite pronoun meaning 'somebody.' See the examples below

Sentence Intonation Audio Meaning
누구 왔어요? Up and then down (insert audio) Who came?
누구 왔어요? Gradually rising (insert audio) Did somebody come?

Used in Declarative Sentences

When 누구 is used in declarative sentences it is a indefinite pronoun meaning 'somebody.'

누가

누가 is 누구 plus the subject marker 가.

Sentence examples

As an interrogative pronoun:

Korean English Notes


As an indefinite pronoun

Korean English Notes


Common phases

Common phrases using 누구

See also