कौन

Asking Who

Level 1Sounds Like kauna

वह कौन है? means Who is he? or Who is she?

How It Works

कौन means who. Put it where the answer would go, and keep the verb at the end.

QuestionAnswer
वह कौन है?वह मेरा भाई है।
दरवाज़े पर कौन है?दरवाज़े पर रीमा है।

English moves who to the front. Hindi leaves it in place: Who is she? is वह कौन है?, literally she who is.

The verb follows the person you are asking about. Use है for one person and हैं for a group or someone you respect: ये लोग कौन हैं? When you ask who does something and do not know the answer, use the masculine singular: यहाँ कौन हिंदी बोलता है? (Who here speaks Hindi?)

Before a postposition, कौन changes to किस, as in किसका (whose) and किसको (to whom). That has its own entry.

Examples (5)

  1. वह कौन है?

    Who is he?

    कौन stands where the answer would go.

  2. दरवाज़े पर कौन है?

    Who is at the door?

    The verb stays at the end.

  3. ये लोग कौन हैं?

    Who are these people?

    A group, so the verb is हैं.

  4. यहाँ कौन हिंदी बोलता है?

    Who here speaks Hindi?

    For an unknown person, use the masculine singular बोलता है.

  5. आपका सबसे अच्छा दोस्त कौन है?

    Who is your best friend?

    कौन comes right before the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Using कौन before a postposition.

    यह कौन की किताब है?
    यह किसकी किताब है?

    Before का, को or से, कौन becomes किस: किसकी किताब (whose book).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

कौनLevel 1Asking Who

Learn This First

Questions with कौन keep statement order and usually end in है.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

कौन