quien

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word quien. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word quien, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say quien in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word quien you have here. The definition of the word quien will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofquien, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: quién

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin quĕm, accusative of quī.

Pronoun

quien

  1. (relative pronoun) who (who (relative pronoun))

Norman

Etymology

From Old French kien, itself from Latin canis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /k(j)ĩ/, /k(j)ɛ̃/, /tʃĩ/

Noun

quien m (plural quiens)

  1. dog

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin quĕm, accusative of quī, from Old Latin quei, from Proto-Italic *kʷoi, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷis, *kʷos.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkjen/
  • Rhymes: -en
  • Syllabification: quien

Pronoun

quien (relative pronoun, plural quienes)

  1. who
    La mujer con quien se casó
    The woman whom he married
  2. (construed with a) whom
    La persona a quien yo amo
    The person whom I love
  3. whoever; whomever; anyone who
    Quienes digan así…
    Anyone who says that…
    No te fíes de quien no dice la verdad.
    Do not trust anyone who does not tell the truth.
  4. the one who
    Synonym: el que
    ¿Eres tú quien ha de venir?
    Are you the one who is to come?
    ¡Soy yo quien llama a la puerta!
    I am the one who knocks!

Usage notes

  • Written with an accent mark (quién) when interrogative.

Derived terms

Further reading