Jump to content

quem

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Latin

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]
  • quaem (Merovingian, hypercorrection)

Pronunciation

[edit]

Etymology 1

[edit]

Inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷom, compare cum.

Pronoun

[edit]

quem

  1. (relative) accusative masculine singular of quī

Determiner

[edit]

quem

  1. (interrogative) accusative masculine singular of quī

Etymology 2

[edit]
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-
Proto-Indo-European *kʷís
Proto-Italic *kʷim
Latin quem

    Inherited from Proto-Italic *kʷim.

    Pronoun

    [edit]

    quem

    1. (interrogative) inflection of quis:
      1. accusative masculine singular
      2. (Old Latin) accusative feminine singular

    Middle English

    [edit]

    Etymology 1

    [edit]

    Adjective

    [edit]

    quem

    1. (West Riding) alternative form of queme

    Etymology 2

    [edit]

    Pronoun

    [edit]

    quem

    1. (Northern) alternative form of whom (“who, whom”, accusative)

    Portuguese

    [edit]

    Etymology 1

    [edit]

      From Old Galician-Portuguese quen, from Latin quem (“whom”), accusative case of interrogative quis (“who?”) and relative quī (“who”).

      Alternative forms

      [edit]

      Pronunciation

      [edit]

      Pronoun

      [edit]

      quem

      1. (interrogative) who; whom (which person?)
        Quem viu o novo filme? ― Who has seen the new film?
        Quem fez isso? ― Who did this?
        Com quem devo falar? ― Whom should I speak to?
        E este artigo foi escrito por quem? ― And this article was written by whom?
        • 2026 January 7, Instagram‎[1], spoken by @fractus.vamp:
          Quem disse essa frase, Kim Jong-un ou Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva? - "우리 나라를 핵탄으로 위협하던 시 대는 영원히 지나갔습니다."
          Who said this phrase? Kim Jong Un or Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva? - "우리 나라를 핵탄으로 위협하던 시 대는 영원히 지나갔습니다."
      2. (relative) who; whom; that (the person who[m] or that)
        Foi ele quem me falou de você. ― It was he who told me about you.
        A moça a quem dei meu número não me ligou. ― The young lady I gave my number to hasn't called me.
      3. (indefinite) those who; people who; anyone who; who(m)ever
        Synonyms: aqueles que, pessoas que, os que
        Não me lembro do nome de quem me ligou. ― I don’t remember the name of the person who called me.
        Quem quiser sair, que o faça. ― Whoever wants to leave may do so.
        A quem interessar possa, a decisão tomada está abaixo descrita. ― To whom it may concern, the decision made is hereineafter described.
        • 1890, Aluizio Azevedo, chapter III, in O Cortiço, Rio de Janeiro: B. L. Garnier, page 43:
          Um acordar alegre e farto de quem dormio de uma assentada sete horas de chumbo.
          A joyful and hearty awakening of someone who had slept for seven heavy hours straight. [Literally, “for seven lead-hours in a sitting”, because lead is a heavy metal.]
        • 2006, Eduardo Giffoni Flórido, As grandes personagens da história do cinema brasileiro: 1970–1979 [The great personages in the history of Brazilian cinema: 1970–1979]‎[2], Fraiha, →ISBN, page 130:
          Nuno Leal Maia é um grande amigo dos amigos. Quem já conviveu ou convive com ele sabe da sua personalidade alegre e descontraída, sem estrelismo, que cativa as pessoas com o seu bom humor constante.
          Nuno Leal Maia is a great big friend. Whoever had lived or lives with him knows of his overjoyed and easygoing personality, which has no haughtiness and captivates people with his never-changing good spirits.
        • 2013, Carlos Sérgio Rodrigues, Anamnesis, Leya, →ISBN, pages 30–31:
          Um vulto encontrava-se dentro do carro. Daquela distância, Diana tentou perceber quem seria a companhia — nos dedos da catraia não brilhava nenhum anel de ouro, por isso seria namorado, acompanhante, amigo colorido, ou outras novidades que os miúdos inventam. Nas casas dos quarenta já nada nos espanta, nem apoquenta. A surpresa vem com a juventude e com a velhice chega a reflexão. No entretanto, sobeja a apatia.
          A shadowy figure could be seen inside the car. From her distance, Diana tried to make out who would be that companion: on the lass's fingers, there gleamed no golden ring, so that'd be a lover, a date, a friend with benefits, or other novelties kids make up these days. In our forties, nothing shocks us any more, nor bothers us. In youth there are many a surprise, and old age brings reflexion; nevertheless, apathy abounds.
      Derived terms
      [edit]

      Etymology 2

      [edit]

      Interjection

      [edit]

      quem

      2. (prescriptive) alternative spelling of quém

      Further reading

      [edit]
      Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=quem&oldid=90754446"