quienvsquién
/KYEN/
/KYEN/
💡 Quick Rule
Use the accent (`quién`) for questions. No accent (`quien`) for statements.
Think of the accent mark as a little question mark jumping with excitement!
- Indirect questions still need the accent: 'No sé quién es.' (I don't know who it is.)
- Exclamations also use the accent: '¡Quién lo diría!' (Who would have thought!)
📊 Comparison Table
| Context | quien | quién | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifying a person | Ella es la mujer de quien te hablé. | ¿De quién me hablaste? | Quien connects ideas about a known person. Quién asks to identify an unknown person. |
| Embedded in a sentence | El artista, quien es muy famoso, vive aquí. | Pregúntale al guía quién es el artista famoso. | Quien adds extra info (a statement). Quién introduces a question inside another sentence. |
| Referring to multiple people | Los amigos con quienes viajo son divertidos. | ¿Quiénes son tus amigos de viaje? | Both forms have a plural ('quienes'/'quiénes'). The accent rule still applies. |
✅ When to Use "quien" / quién
quien
A relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'that'. Use it to connect two parts of a sentence, like saying 'the person *who*...'
/KYEN/
Connecting ideas
El hombre quien llamó es mi jefe.
The man who called is my boss.
After a preposition (a, con, de, en)
Ella es la amiga con quien fui al cine.
She is the friend with whom I went to the movies.
As 'the one who' or 'whoever'
Quien termine primero, gana un premio.
Whoever finishes first wins a prize.
quién
An interrogative (question) or exclamatory pronoun meaning 'who?' or 'whom?'. Use it to ask for the identity of a person.
/KYEN/
Direct questions
¿Quién es esa persona?
Who is that person?
Indirect questions
No sé quién vino a la fiesta.
I don't know who came to the party.
Exclamations
¡Mira quién habla!
Look who's talking!
🔄 Contrast Examples
With "quien":
Ese es el colega con quien trabajo en el proyecto.
That is the colleague with whom I work on the project.
With "quién":
¿Quién es el colega que trabaja en el proyecto?
Who is the colleague that works on the project?
The Difference: Quien is used in a statement to add information about a person. Quién is used to ask for the identity of that person.
With "quien":
Quien rompió el vaso debe limpiarlo.
Whoever broke the glass must clean it.
With "quién":
Dime quién rompió el vaso.
Tell me who broke the glass.
The Difference: Quien acts like 'the one who' in a statement of fact or a rule. Quién is used in a command or question to find out an unknown identity.
🎨 Visual Comparison
Split-screen showing quien (statement) vs quién (question).
Quien connects information; quién asks a question.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
¿Quien es tu profesor?
¿Quién es tu profesor?
If it's a question, it needs an accent. All Spanish question words (qué, cuándo, dónde, etc.) follow this rule.
La persona con quién hablé era muy amable.
La persona con quien hablé era muy amable.
This is a statement connecting two facts, not a question. You are not asking 'who?', so no accent is needed.
No me acuerdo quien me lo dijo.
No me acuerdo quién me lo dijo.
This is an indirect question. It answers the hidden question 'Who told me?'. Even though the whole sentence isn't a question, this part is, so it needs the accent.
📚 Related Grammar
Want to understand the grammar behind this pair? Explore these lessons for a deep dive:
🏷️ Key Words
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: Quien vs Quién
Question 1 of 3
Which is correct? '¿___ es el presidente de México?'
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference in pronunciation between quien and quién?
Technically, no. They sound the same. The difference is in the sentence's intonation. In a question with 'quién', your voice will naturally rise, but the word itself is pronounced the same as 'quien'.
What about 'quienes' and 'quiénes'?
It's the exact same rule, just for plural! Use 'quienes' (no accent) in statements about more than one person, and 'quiénes' (with an accent) when asking 'who?' about more than one person. Example: '¿Quiénes son ellos?' (Who are they?).
Do other Spanish question words follow this accent rule?
Yes, all of them! It's a very consistent rule. Qué (What?), Cuándo (When?), Dónde (Where?), Cómo (How?), Cuál (Which?), and Cuánto (How much?) all use an accent mark in questions and exclamations, and no accent in statements.