<p>[是谁] = [(it) is who]</p>
<p><em>打 = dials</em></p>
<p><em>电话 = phone</em></p>
<p>[打电话] = [makes phone call]</p>
<p><em>过 = over</em></p>
<p><em>来 = toward here</em></p>
<p>[过来] (verb particle indicates the direction of the verb)</p>
<p>[呢?] (particle indicate a question, but not a yes or no question )</p>
<p>是谁打电话过来 = who makes the phone call (coming in/ toward here) = who called (in) here?</p>
<p>Similarly:</p>
<p>是谁打电话过去 = who makes the phone call (going out/ toward there) = who called (out) there?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-13T05:25:27.050Z
2021-02-13T06:21:00.873Z
2021-02-13T06:21:00.873Z
Tang Ho
<p>1.这句话是正确的， 是谁=谁，用于句子开头都是可以的。
2.从打电话一方来说，是打过去；从接电话一方是打过来。
2.呢是语气词，在不同句子中不同含义。可以用于选择疑问句。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-13T09:55:52.487Z
2021-02-13T09:55:52.487Z
Edison
<ol>
<li><p>This sentence has an abbreviated 的 in 是誰打電話過來的呢. 是～的 is a very common construction that you must remember; it is used <em>for emphasis</em>. In your sentence, you would like to emphasise <em>who</em> called. Basically, 誰打電話過來 (who called) is the question without any emphasis.</p>
</li>
<li><p>打～過來 should be seen together, not 電話過來. For details please see my explanation on the auxiliary verb 來 <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/42926/difference-between-%E4%BB%96%E5%B8%A6%E6%9D%A5%E4%BA%86%E5%BE%88%E5%A4%9A%E8%A1%A3%E6%9C%8D-and-%E4%BB%96%E5%B8%A6%E5%BE%88%E5%A4%9A%E8%A1%A3%E6%9C%8D%E6%9D%A5/42927#42927">here</a>. In general, 來 may (1) indicate an observed movement caused by the main verb (打) towards the speaker; or (2) the start (or in a more abstract sense, consequence) of the action caused by the main verb. Here, it emphasises someone called as if the call <em>approached</em> the speaker. A more semantically accurate translation of 打～過來 is 'to call here'.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Your statement on 呢 is irrelevant in this situation. While 嗎 is a question particle for yes/no questions, 呢 is a question particle for 5W1H words, in this case 'who'. Therefore,</p>
</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<pre><code>是誰打電話過來的嗎（✖）
是誰打電話過來的呢（✓）
Who is it that called?

是他打電話過來的呢（✖）
是他打電話過來的嗎（✓）
Is it he who called?
</code></pre>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-15T21:17:49.983Z
Thank you. I know about the 是～的 construction and I suspected that my example was related. I just didn't know that the final 的 can be omitted. Regarding my last question, I thought that 谁 was enough to make that sentence a question.
Alexander Vorobiev
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-16T01:29:02.153Z
Hi @AlexanderVorobiev, you are right, both 是誰打電話過來？ and 是誰打電話過來的？ are grammatically sound, despite the absence of a question particle. You may see here for when to use 呢: https://eastasiastudent.net/china/mandarin/four-uses-呢/. As for 的 omission, it is fine unless the ～的 indicates possession, such as 是我的 (lit. is mine); in that case 是我 would mean differently (lit. is me).
L Parker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-13T05:12:35.407Z
2021-02-13T07:35:34.170Z
2021-02-13T07:35:34.170Z
L Parker
<p>I know that 是谁打电话过来呢 means &quot;who is calling?&quot; but I don't know how to parse it:</p>
<ul>
<li>why is 是 at the beginning?</li>
<li>not sure about the meaning of 过来. Is 电话过来 a standard combination?</li>
<li>why 呢? I thought it is used for &quot;what about...?&quot; questions.</li>
</ul>

<grammar><direction-complement>
Understanding the structure of 是谁打电话过来呢
# Understanding the structure of 是谁打电话过来呢

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-13)

I know that 是谁打电话过来呢 means "who is calling?" but I don't know how to parse it:

* why is 是 at the beginning?
* not sure about the meaning of 过来. Is 电话过来 a standard combination?
* why 呢? I thought it is used for "what about...?" questions.

**Tags:** grammar, direction-complement


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-02-13. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

1. This sentence has an abbreviated 的 in 是誰打電話過來的呢. 是～的 is a very common construction that you must remember; it is used *for emphasis*. In your sentence, you would like to emphasise *who* called. Basically, 誰打電話過來 (who called) is the question without any emphasis.
2. 打～過來 should be seen together, not 電話過來. For details please see my explanation on the auxiliary verb 來 [here](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/42926/difference-between-%E4%BB%96%E5%B8%A6%E6%9D%A5%E4%BA%86%E5%BE%88%E5%A4%9A%E8%A1%A3%E6%9C%8D-and-%E4%BB%96%E5%B8%A6%E5%BE%88%E5%A4%9A%E8%A1%A3%E6%9C%8D%E6%9D%A5/42927#42927). In general, 來 may (1) indicate an observed movement caused by the main verb (打) towards the speaker; or (2) the start (or in a more abstract sense, consequence) of the action caused by the main verb. Here, it emphasises someone called as if the call *approached* the speaker. A more semantically accurate translation of 打～過來 is 'to call here'.
3. Your statement on 呢 is irrelevant in this situation. While 嗎 is a question particle for yes/no questions, 呢 is a question particle for 5W1H words, in this case 'who'. Therefore,

> ```
> 是誰打電話過來的嗎（✖）
> 是誰打電話過來的呢（✓）
> Who is it that called?
>
> 是他打電話過來的呢（✖）
> 是他打電話過來的嗎（✓）
> Is it he who called?
>
> ```

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you. I know about the 是～的 construction and I suspected that my example was related. I just didn't know that the final 的 can be omitted. Regarding my last question, I thought that 谁 was enough to make that sentence a question.  
> **username_3**: Hi @username_0, you are right, both 是誰打電話過來？ and 是誰打電話過來的？ are grammatically sound, despite the absence of a question particle. You may see here for when to use 呢: https://eastasiastudent.net/china/mandarin/four-uses-呢/. As for 的 omission, it is fine unless the ～的 indicates possession, such as 是我的 (lit. is mine); in that case 是我 would mean differently (lit. is me).  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2021-02-13. Score: 2

[是谁] = [(it) is who]

*打 = dials*

*电话 = phone*

[打电话] = [makes phone call]

*过 = over*

*来 = toward here*

[过来] (verb particle indicates the direction of the verb)

[呢?] (particle indicate a question, but not a yes or no question )

是谁打电话过来 = who makes the phone call (coming in/ toward here) = who called (in) here?

Similarly:

是谁打电话过去 = who makes the phone call (going out/ toward there) = who called (out) there?


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-02-13. Score: 0

1.这句话是正确的， 是谁=谁，用于句子开头都是可以的。
2.从打电话一方来说，是打过去；从接电话一方是打过来。
2.呢是语气词，在不同句子中不同含义。可以用于选择疑问句。


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