A colorful storybook illustration showing three diverse people standing together. A large, simple hand enters the frame from the side and points directly at the group, symbolizing a question directed at multiple individuals.

quiénes

KEE-eh-ness (Stress on the first part)

PronounA2

who (plural)?Used in questions, referring to multiple people,whom (plural)?Used as the object of a verb or preposition

📝 In Action

¿Quiénes prepararon la cena anoche?

Who prepared dinner last night?

Dime quiénes son los responsables del proyecto.

Tell me who the people responsible for the project are.

No sé con quiénes irá de viaje.

I don't know with whom he will go on the trip.

¡Quiénes dirían que lo lograrían!

Who would have thought they would achieve it!

💡 Grammar Points

Always Plural

Use 'quiénes' only when you are asking or referring to more than one person. For a single person, use the singular form 'quién'.

The Accent is Essential

The accent (tilde) over the 'e' is mandatory when 'quiénes' is part of a question (direct or indirect) or an exclamation. It signals that the sentence is asking for information.

People Only

'Quiénes' is reserved exclusively for identifying people, never for things, objects, or concepts. Use 'qué' or 'cuáles' for things.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Singular and Plural

Mistake: "¿Quiénes es el director de la empresa?"

Correction: ¿Quién es el director...? (The director is one person). Or, ¿Quiénes son los directores...?

Forgetting the Accent in Questions

Mistake: "Dime quienes vienen mañana."

Correction: Dime quiénes vienen mañana. (Even though it's not a question mark, the sentence is asking for information, so the accent is required.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Asking Who is Left

When asking 'who is left?' or 'who remains?' always use the plural verb form after 'quiénes,' even if the answer might be singular: '¿Quiénes quedan?'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: quiénes

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'quiénes'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

quién(who (singular)) - pronoun

quienes(whom, those who (relative pronoun without accent)) - pronoun

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).