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quien

kyenˈkjen

“quien” means “who” in Spanish (used to add extra information about a person).

who, whom

Also: the one who / he who / she who, the ones who / they who
A cheerful woman in a red dress is visually linked by a bright yellow ribbon to a large blue flower on a green hill, symbolizing the connection made by the relative pronoun 'quien'.

📝 In Action

Mi hermano, quien es médico, vive en Bogotá.

A2

My brother, who is a doctor, lives in Bogota.

Ella es la persona con quien hablé ayer.

B1

She is the person with whom I spoke yesterday.

Fueron mis amigos quienes me ayudaron con la mudanza.

B1

It was my friends who helped me with the move.

Quien no arriesga, no gana.

B2

He who doesn't risk, doesn't gain. (Nothing ventured, nothing gained.)

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • el que / la que (the one who/that)
  • el cual / la cual (who/which (more formal))

Common Collocations

  • a quien corresponda – to whom it may concern
  • con quien – with whom
  • para quien – for whom
  • de quien – from whom / of whom / whose

Idioms & Expressions

  • Quien ríe último, ríe mejor. – The person who succeeds in the end has the true victory.
  • Quien calla, otorga. – If you don't object to something, you are assumed to agree with it.

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "quien" in Spanish:

who→whom→

🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: quien

Question 1 of 2

Which word best completes this sentence: 'Los profesores, ___ enseñan español, son de Colombia.'

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
quién(who? (in a question)) — Pronoun
quienes(who / whom (plural)) — Pronoun
quiénes(who? (plural, in a question)) — Pronoun
🎵 Rhymes▼
bientambiéncien
📚 Etymology▼

It comes from the Latin word 'quem', which was the form of 'who' used when the person was receiving an action. Over time, it became the standard Spanish word for connecting ideas about people.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: quemGalician: quenItalian: chi

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the simplest difference between `quien` and `que`?

The easiest rule is: `quien` is for people, and `que` is for everything else (things, ideas, places). While `que` can sometimes be used for people, `quien` can NEVER be used for things. So when in doubt, if it's not a person, it's not `quien`.

Why does `quien` sometimes have an accent mark (`quién`)?

The accent mark tells you it's a question word. `Quién` (with an accent) asks 'Who?'. For example, '¿Quién es ella?' (Who is she?). `Quien` (no accent) is for making statements and connecting ideas, like 'Ella es quien me llamó' (She is the one who called me).

Can I always use `que` instead of `quien` for people?

Not always. The biggest rule is that after a short connecting word (a preposition) like 'con', 'de', 'a', or 'para', you MUST use `quien` if you're talking about a person. For example, you have to say 'la chica *a quien* vi' (the girl whom I saw), you cannot say 'la chica a que vi'.