kaun

Kaun is a Hindi interrogative pronoun that means "who." It is used to ask about the identity of a person or, in extended forms, to inquire about people or things related to a situation. In everyday speech, it appears in questions such as "Kaun hai?" (Who is it/Who is there?), "Kaun sa?" (Which one?), and "Kaun log?" (Which people?).

Etymology and usage: Kaun is linked to the Sanskrit root "kaḥ," the classical form for asking about identity. Over time, it developed into the Hindi form "kaun." The word functions as a stand-alone pronoun and can pair with other words to form phrases like "kaun sa" (which) and "kaun se log" (which people). It is gender-neutral and does not inflect for gender in its basic interrogative use, though surrounding verbs and agreements in a sentence reflect gender and number.

In popular culture and language contexts, kaun appears frequently as a title or motif in media and literature, reflecting its central role in questioning identity. One well-known instance is the 1999 Indian psychological thriller Kaun, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, which centers on a lone woman’s encounter with a mysterious intruder during a storm and is noted for its suspenseful twist.

Other uses: The word is also found in Urdu with the same meaning, written as کون, and is understood across many Hindustani-speaking communities. Beyond Hindi, cognate forms appear in related languages in the region where questions about identity and personhood are commonly expressed with similar roots.