¿De dónde eres?
informal, tú
The informal way to ask "where are you from?" in Spanish is ¿De dónde eres? The formal way is ¿De dónde es usted? It is also called ¿De dónde sos?
Meaning: asking about someone's origin (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¿De dónde eres? | informal, tú |
| ¿De dónde es usted? | formal, usted |
| ¿De dónde sos? | informal, vos, Argentina |
Use ¿De dónde eres? with people your age and friends. Use ¿De dónde es usted? with older people or in a formal setting. The answer is Soy de plus the place, as in Soy de Chile.
Which one should you use?
To ask where someone lives now, say ¿Dónde vives? or ¿Dónde vive usted? The two questions are different in Spanish.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay people say ¿De dónde sos? with vos. The question is about origin, not where someone lives.
Did you know?
- The verb ser is used for origin, which is why Spanish says Soy de México and not Estoy de México.
Examples in context
- ¿De dónde eres?Where are you from?
- Perdone, ¿de dónde es usted?Excuse me, where are you from?
- Soy de Colombia, ¿y tú?I am from Colombia, and you?
Example conversation
Ben meets a new coworker at a company party in Madrid.
- BenHola, soy Ben. ¿De dónde eres?Hi, I am Ben. Where are you from?
- GabrielaSoy de Bogotá, ¿y tú?I am from Bogotá, and you?
- BenDe Chicago, pero vivo aquí.From Chicago, but I live here.
