What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Woher kommst du? is composed of Woher (where from), kommst (come) and du (you).
Which one should you use?
Be careful not to confuse origin with current location. Use Woher (where from) to ask about where someone is from, whereas Wo (where) is used to ask about someone's current location (e.g., Wo bist du? for "Where are you?").
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, you may hear the dialect form Wo kummst du her? to ask where someone comes from. In Switzerland, the dialect form Wo chunsch du här? is used for the same purpose.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the verb and the pronoun change depending on who you are addressing. When addressing one person you know well, use the singular informal Woher kommst du? If you are asking a group of people you know well, you must use the plural informal form Woher kommt ihr? (Where do you all come from?). When speaking to an adult you do not know or in a professional setting, you should use the formal Sie instead of du (e.g., Woher kommen Sie?).
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this question, a standard way to answer is to use the phrase Ich komme aus… followed by the name of your country or city.
Did you know?
- The pronoun du used in Woher kommst du? is a direct linguistic sibling to the archaic English word 'thou'.
- When answering Ich komme aus…, the preposition aus is used for cities and countries, but if you are referring to a specific point of departure, you would use von.
- In German, the directionality of the question is built into the word Woher, which specifically combines 'where' with the particle 'her' to indicate movement towards the speaker.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigen Sie, woher kommen Sie?Excuse me, where do you come from?
- Hey, woher kommst du denn?Hey, where do you come from?
- Woher kommst du? – Ich komme aus Deutschland.Where do you come from? – I come from Germany.
Example conversation
Two students are meeting for the first time at a university party.
- MaximilianHallo, ich bin Maximilian. Woher kommst du?Hello, I am Maximilian. Where do you come from?
- LauraIch bin Laura und ich komme aus Spanien.I am Laura and I come from Spain.
- MaximilianDas ist toll, Laura!That is great, Laura!
- LauraDanke, Maximilian.Thanks, Maximilian.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, woher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
