Lesson 28 Who’s who

ポイント
“Who” can be directly translated as 誰, but it can be used differently, as Hiroshi learns?

ダイアログ
Bill: So, Hiroshi. Who do you work for?
Hiroshi: Er, well, my boss is Mr. Tanaka.

解説
Hiroshi misunderstands Bill’s question because he thinks “who” can only refer to people. However, “who” can be used in questions to mean “what company,” “what organization”, and even “what sports team.” For example, “Who do you support?” means “What (soccer/baseball/rugby) team do you support?” So Hiroshi should answer Bill’s question (“Who do you work for?”) by just saying his company’s name.