shuíshéi

who? whom? whose? anyone?

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
讠 meaning component

  Meaning component

yán

  

speech

is a component form of .

隹 sound component

  Sound component

zhuī

  

bird

Evolution

谁 Bronze script Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Bronze script

Late Warring States (~250 BC)
谁 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
谁 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
谁 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
谁 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

shuí

who? whom? whose? anyone?

() 

shéi

who; also pr. [shuí]

Most common words with 谁
Freq.
Word
Meaning

who

鹿死谁手

prize winner

谁知

lit. who knows