¿a dónde quieres ir?
The English phrase "where do you want to go?" is translated into Spanish as ¿a dónde quieres ir?
This phrase is used to ask a person about their desired destination. A common way to answer this question is by saying Quiero ir a… followed by your destination.
Which one should you use?
While ¿dónde quieres ir? is often heard in casual speech, including the a is grammatically more precise because the destination is the target of the movement.
Did you know?
- The Spanish verb ir is a linguistic puzzle because its different tenses come from three distinct Latin verbs: īre for the infinitive, vādere for voy and esse for fui.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you are asking someone where they want to go in a social context, the phrase might change significantly depending on whether you use 'tú' or 'vos'. For example, in Argentina, you might hear ¿a dónde querés ir?
- While ¿a dónde quieres ir? asks about a destination, using ¿adónde? as one word is also correct and common in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Examples in context
- ¿A dónde desea ir?Where do you want to go?
- Tú decides, ¿a dónde quieres ir?You decide, where do you want to go?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, dónde, ir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
