quiénes
“quiénes” means “who (plural)” in Spanish (Used in questions, referring to multiple people).
who (plural), whom (plural)
📝 In Action
¿Quiénes prepararon la cena anoche?
A2Who prepared dinner last night?
Dime quiénes son los responsables del proyecto.
B1Tell me who the people responsible for the project are.
No sé con quiénes irá de viaje.
B2I don't know with whom he will go on the trip.
¡Quiénes dirían que lo lograrían!
C1Who would have thought they would achieve it!
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: quiénes
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'quiénes'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the singular interrogative pronoun 'quién,' which descends from the Latin word *quem*, meaning 'whom' (the object form of 'who'). Spanish added the plural ending '-es' to the interrogative form to create 'quiénes' to address groups of people.
First recorded: Medieval Spanish (similar form appeared after the singular interrogative solidified)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'quiénes' have an accent when 'quienes' (without the accent) exists?
The accent tells you the word is being used to ask a question or express surprise/emotion (interrogative or exclamatory use). The form without the accent ('quienes') is usually a relative pronoun, used simply to add information about people previously mentioned ('los estudiantes, quienes estudiaron mucho...').
Can I use 'quiénes' to ask about animals?
No. 'Quiénes' is strictly reserved for human beings. For animals or objects, you should use 'qué' (what) or 'cuáles' (which ones).