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6. Who Is That?

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すみません、あの人は誰ですか
Excuse me, who is that person?
あの男の人ですか
That man?
先生です
He's a teacher
あの女の人も先生ですか
Is that woman also a teacher?
いいえ、学生です
No, she's a student
あなたも学生ですか
Are you also a student?
はい、私は学生です
Yes, I'm a student
あの人は誰ですか
Who is that person?
あの人は誰ですか
Who is that person?
あ、これは何ですか
Oh, what is this?
あなたの物ですか
Is it yours?
はい、私の物です
Yes, it's mine
この意味は何ですか
What does this mean?
私の名前の意味です
It's the meaning of my name
あなたも学生ですか
Are you also a student?
はい、私は学生です
Yes, I'm a student
あの人は誰ですか
Who is that person?
あの人は誰ですか
Who is that person?

Cultural Notes

Avoid Using あなた Too Much

In Japanese, saying あなた directly to someone can sound blunt or even rude. In everyday conversation, people use the other person's name instead, or just drop "you" entirely — the context makes it clear. You'll mostly hear あなた between married couples (a wife addressing her husband) or in formal surveys and signs.

誰 vs 何 — Asking About People vs Things

Use 誰 (dare) when asking about a person and 何 (nani) when asking about a thing. A quick trick: if you could answer with a name, use 誰. If you could answer with an object, use 何. Notice that 何 changes pronunciation to "nan" right before です — so you'll say なんですか, not なにですか.

男の人 and 女の人 — The Polite Way to Say Man and Woman

Japanese has blunter words for man and woman (男 and 女 alone), but adding の人 makes it polite and neutral — closer to "gentleman" and "lady" in feel. In everyday conversation, 男の人 and 女の人 are the safe, respectful choices.