adónde
/aˈdonde/
In Spanish, "to where" is translated as adónde.
The phrase is used to ask about the destination of a person or thing moving toward a place.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a combination of the preposition a (to) and the interrogative dónde (where).
Which one should you use?
Use adónde instead of dónde when the verb implies movement toward a destination (e.g., "to go" or "to lead"), whereas dónde is used for static location.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries like Argentina and Uruguay, the informal phrase ¿A dónde más o menos? is used to informally ask for an imprecise destination.
How does it change in a sentence?
In modern Spanish, the preposition a is often written joined to the interrogative dónde as a single word adónde when used in questions. The two-word form a dónde is also grammatically correct and is often used interchangeably with the single-word adónde.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈdonde/
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers often use the phrase ¿Adónde vamos a parar? rhetorically to express a sense of hopelessness or a lack of direction.
- In some Caribbean dialects, the d in adónde is spoken so softly that it almost vanishes, making the word sound like aónde.
- While adónde asks for a destination, Spanish has a separate word de dónde to ask about origin, reflecting a strict linguistic split between 'to' and 'from' that English often simplifies to 'where'.
Examples in context
- ¿Adónde lleva este camino difícil?To where leads this difficult path?This sentence shows how to use adónde to ask about the destination a path leads to.Tatoeba #574396 by Shishir, translation #573881 by FeuDRenais2
- ¿Adónde vas con tanta prisa?Where are you going in such a hurry?
- ¿Adónde van todos los pasajeros?Where are all the passengers going?
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are leaving a party.
- AlejandroMaría, ¿adónde vamos?María, where are we going?
- MaríaVamos al centro.We are going downtown.
- Alejandro¿Adónde exactamente en el centro?To where exactly downtown?
- MaríaA una cafetería pequeña.To a small coffee shop.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry adónde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
