es de algún lugar
/es de alɡun luɡaɾ/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "someone is from somewhere" is es de algún lugar.
This phrase is used to state a person's place of origin or nationality.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the verb ser (to be) and the preposition de (from).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes depending on the subject: to say "I am from somewhere" you use soy de, to say "you are from somewhere" to a single person informally you use eres de and to say "we are from somewhere" you use somos de.
How do you pronounce it?
/es de alɡun luɡaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use está de instead of es de. However, origin is a permanent characteristic and requires the verb ser.
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers often use the phrase ser de to describe not just a city or country, but also the material something is made of, such as es de madera for 'it is made of wood'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, when someone asks ¿De dónde eres?, it is common to respond with both your country and your specific city to provide a complete sense of identity.
- The word lugar is a linguistic sibling of the English word 'local', both descending from the Latin 'locus'.
Examples in context
- Ella es natural de México.She is a native of Mexico.
- Él es natural de Argentina.He is a native of Argentina.
- Ella es procedente de Madrid.She is from Madrid.
- Él es procedente de Bogotá.He is from Bogotá.
- Ella es de Francia.She is from France.
- Él es de Brasil.He is from Brazil.
- Ella proviene de Barcelona.She comes from Barcelona.
- Él proviene de Santiago.He comes from Santiago.
- Yo soy de México.I am from Mexico.
- Tú eres procedente de Madrid.You are from Madrid.
- Él es natural de Chile.He is a native of Chile.
- Ella es de España.She is from Spain.
- Ella es de algún lugar en Italia.She is from somewhere in Italy.
- Él es de algún lugar de España.He is from somewhere in Spain.
- Ese actor es de algún lugar de México.That actor is from somewhere in Mexico.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new colleague.
- Javier¿Sabes de dónde es el nuevo empleado?Do you know where the new employee is from?
- MaríaNo sé, pero es de algún lugar de Europa.I don't know, but he is from somewhere in Europe.
- JavierParece que es de algún lugar muy frío.It seems like he is from somewhere very cold.
- MaríaEs posible, tiene un acento interesante.It's possible, he has an interesting accent.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, es, lugar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
