<p>The difference is quite fine but here they are</p>

<p>谁：</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Is more commonly used</p></li>
<li><p>Is more polite</p></li>
</ul>

<p>什么人：</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Used more in the olden days</p></li>
<li><p>The person who says this may be a higher-class person or just arrogant</p></li>
<li><p>Less polite          </p></li>
<li><p>In some cases is a question of one's status</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Hope this helped.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-04T03:48:37.643Z
2017-05-04T03:48:37.643Z
Ink
<p>Usage may overlap, but they are often used in different situations to ask for different information.  </p>

<p>誰 often asks identity, usually a name.  什麼人 often asks for status or role, 'what kind of a person' An example is this riddle: 什么人最笨？ 渔（愚）人. </p>

<p>It can also be used in the non-interrogative sense, as in 你是什麼人，便會吸引到什麼人. Whatever kind of person you are, that is the kind of person you will attract.  誰 would probably not be used in this type of sentence.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-04T08:28:54.787Z
Another usage `什么人么（hyphen）！`  What a bad people !
Zang MingJie
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-04T03:55:16.820Z
2017-05-04T03:55:16.820Z
wpt
<p>I was watching a Chinese kid's movie about Chinese mythology to practice my Mandarin and learn about mythology when one of the characters said "什么人", which I interpreted to mean 谁. Is one more formal than the other? Do native speakers use them interchangeably or do they use one more than the other?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-03T21:32:30.017Z
enter both into jukuu to get some idea
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-03T21:39:18.433Z
什么人= what people/ who; 谁= who
Tang Ho
<grammar>
什么人 vs. 谁 usages？
# 什么人 vs. 谁 usages？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-03)

I was watching a Chinese kid's movie about Chinese mythology to practice my Mandarin and learn about mythology when one of the characters said "什么人", which I interpreted to mean 谁. Is one more formal than the other? Do native speakers use them interchangeably or do they use one more than the other?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: enter both into jukuu to get some idea  
> **username_2**: 什么人= what people/ who; 谁= who  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-05-04. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Usage may overlap, but they are often used in different situations to ask for different information.

誰 often asks identity, usually a name. 什麼人 often asks for status or role, 'what kind of a person' An example is this riddle: 什么人最笨？ 渔（愚）人.

It can also be used in the non-interrogative sense, as in 你是什麼人，便會吸引到什麼人. Whatever kind of person you are, that is the kind of person you will attract. 誰 would probably not be used in this type of sentence.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Another usage `什么人么（hyphen）！`  What a bad people !  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-05-04. Score: 1

The difference is quite fine but here they are

谁：

* Is more commonly used
* Is more polite

什么人：

* Used more in the olden days
* The person who says this may be a higher-class person or just arrogant
* Less polite
* In some cases is a question of one's status

Hope this helped.


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