vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Who" is a form of "who", a pronoun which is often translated as "quién". "Whoever" is a pronoun which is often translated as "quien". Learn more about the difference between "who" and "whoever" below.
who(
hu
)A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
a. quién
Hello? Who is calling?¿Hola? ¿Quién llama?
I don't know who he is, but he looks a lot like my brother.No sé quién es, pero se parece mucho a mi hermano.
2. (relative)
whoever(
hu
-
eh
-
vuhr
)A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
a. quien
Whoever stole my laptop is going to be in big trouble.Quien se haya robado mi laptop se va a meter en problemas.
a. quienquiera
Whoever comes to the party will receive a book of stickers.Quienquiera que venga a la fiesta recibirá un librito de pegatinas.
b. sea quien sea
Whoever becomes the next governor will have a tough job.Sea quien sea el próximo gobernador tendrá un trabajo difícil.
c. quien sea
Whoever you ask will tell you that it's the best restaurant in town.A quien sea que se lo preguntes, te dirá que es el mejor restaurante de la ciudad.
a. quién
Whoever could be calling at this ungodly hour?¿Quién podría estar llamando a esta hora intempestiva?
4. (colloquial) (a person not specified)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I saw my ex downtown with her new boyfriend, Keith or whoever.Vi a mi ex en el centro con su nuevo novio, Keith o quien sea.
When you get to our office, talk to the secretary or whoever.Cuando llegues a la oficina, habla con la secretaria o con alguien.
