Definition

1. Interrogative pronoun:

   • Who, whom: Used to ask about a person's identity or to inquire which specific person is involved in an action.
   • Which one (of a group): Used to ask about a choice between specific people.

2. Indefinite pronoun:

   • Anyone, anybody, someone, somebody: Used to refer to an unspecified or unknown person.
   • Everyone, everybody: When used in structures like "ai cũng..." or "ai ai", it means "everyone" or "all people".

3. Negative pronoun:

   • No one, nobody: When used in a negative sentence (e.g., "không ai"), it means "no one" or "nobody".

Usage Examples

• Interrogative pronoun:

  • Anh là ai? (Who are you?)
  • Cô ấy muốn gặp ai? (Whom does she want to see?)
  • Trong hai người này, bạn chọn ai? (Between these two people, which one do you choose?)

• Indefinite pronoun:

  • Có ai trong phòng không? (Is there anyone in the room?)
  • Ai đó đang gõ cửa. (Someone is knocking on the door.)
  • Ai cũng phải tuân theo luật pháp. (Everyone must obey the law.)

• Negative pronoun:

  • Ở đây không có ai cả. (There is nobody here.)
  • Tôi không quen ai trong công ty đó. (I don't know anyone in that company.)

Advanced Usage

• "Dù anh là ai": No matter who you are.

  • Dù anh là ai, anh cũng không được phép vào đây. (No matter who you are, you are not allowed to enter here.)

• "Ai làm nấy chịu": Literally "Whoever does it, bears it." Equivalent to "You made your bed, now lie in it" or being responsible for one's own actions.

  • Đây là quyết định của anh, ai làm nấy chịu. (This is your decision, you must face the consequences.)

• "Ai ai": Everyone, all people (emphatic form).

  • Tin buồn ấy, ai ai cũng biết. (Everyone knows that sad news.)

• "Hơn ai hết": More than anyone else.

  • Cô ấy, hơn ai hết, hiểu rõ vấn đề này. (She, more than anyone else, understands this issue clearly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bất cứ ai (pronoun): Anyone, anybody (emphasizing no restriction).

  • Dự án này mở cho bất cứ ai quan tâm. (This project is open to anyone who is interested.)

• Chẳng ai (pronoun): No one, nobody (a more literary or emphatic form of "không ai").

  • Lúc đó chẳng ai có mặt để chứng kiến. (At that time, no one was present to witness it.)

Synonyms

• Người nào (interrogative phrase): Which person (synonymous in interrogative use).
• Mọi người (noun phrase): Everyone, everybody (synonymous in the "ai cũng" sense).

Related Idioms

• "Ai giàu ba họ, ai khó ba đời": A proverb meaning "No family is permanently rich or poor for three generations." It implies that social and economic status can change over time.

• "Biết ai mà chờ, biết ai mà ngóng": An idiom expressing helpless waiting, not knowing whom to wait for. It conveys a sense of uncertainty and longing.

pronoun

1. Who, whom, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody
   • ai đó?
     Who is there?
   • anh là ai?, anh muốn gặp ai?
     who are you? whom do you want to see?
   • tôi muốn biết ai đã đưa ra lời gợi ý vô lý ấy
     I want to know who has dropped that absurd hint
   • có ai trong phòng này không?
     is there anyone (anybody) in this room?
   • có ai đó điện thoại cho anh trong lúc anh đi vắng
     somebody (someone) made you a call during your absence
   • Không có ai cả
     Not anybody (nobody)
   • tôi không biết ai trong gia đình này cả
     I don't know anybody (anyone) in this family