“だれ” is an interrogative pronoun referring to people: who, which person.
It takes particles according to function: が (subject), を (object), に (target/destination), と (together with), の (possession).
“だれも + Vません” = “no one …”; “だれか” = “someone”.
3. Illustrative examples
あの人はだれですか。 Who is that person?
これはだれのペンですか。 Whose pen is this?
入口にだれがいますか。 Is there anyone at the entrance?
だれも来ませんでした。 No one came.
だれか日本語が話せますか。 Can anyone speak Japanese?
今日はだれと行きますか。 Who are you going with today?
4. Usage & nuance
Neutral; usable in most contexts. For more polite speech, use “どなた”.
In yes/no questions, “だれか” is often used to ask about the existence “someone…”.
“だれも” takes a negative to mean “no one”.
5. Comparison, distinctions, and similar patterns
Word
Meaning
Difference
Short example
だれ
Who
Common
だれですか
どなた
Who (polite)
Use with strangers; honorific/polite
どなたですか
だれか
Someone
Indefinite
だれか来ました
だれも + Vません
No one
Must be used with negation
だれもいません
なに／どれ
What/Which
Asks about things, not people
これは何ですか
6. Additional notes
“だれも + affirmative” can sometimes be understood as “everyone …” in casual conversation, but at the basic level you should use “みんな” to avoid ambiguity.
In announcements/ceremonial contexts, prefer “どなた”.
For phone calls/doorbells: “どなたですか？” is very polite.
7. Variations & set phrases
だれかいますか: Is anyone there?
これはだれのですか: Whose is this?
だれもいません: There's no one.
どなたですか: Who is it, please?
8. Common mistakes & JLPT traps
Using “だれも” with an affirmative at the basic level is incorrect: “だれも来ます” is confusing; use “みんな来ます”.
Forgetting the particle: “だれですか” (correct), but for possession you must use “だれの”.
Confusing “だれ” (who) with “どれ/どの” (which/which + N): they have different functions.
