dónde
/ˈdonde/
The Spanish word for "where" is dónde.
dónde is an adverb used to ask about a location. ¿Dónde está? is universally understood and used across Spanish-speaking countries and regions. While it is primarily used for questions, it can also appear in non-question sentences to express surprise or for emphasis, such as in the phrase ¡Mira dónde está el coche! (Look where the car is!).
Meaning: at or in what place (adv)
Which one should you use?
The form with an accent, dónde, is used for questions or indirect questions. In contrast, the related form donde is a relative pronoun used to link clauses and refers to the place in which something happens.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing movement toward a destination, you can use the contraction adónde (a + dónde) to mean "to where". To ask where someone is from, you must use the preposition de before the interrogative dónde.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdonde/
When do people say it?
To ask for a location politely, you can use the phrase ¿Dónde se encuentra?
Did you know?
- The phrase ¿Dónde habrá? is a way to ask 'Where might there be?', using the future tense of 'haber' to express a sense of uncertainty or searching.
- In some Latin American dialects, you may hear people use por dónde instead of dónde when asking for directions, which literally translates to 'by where' or 'along which way'.
- The accent mark in dónde is not for pronunciation but is a 'diacritic' used solely to distinguish a question from a relative pronoun.
Examples in context
- ¿A dónde fue él?Where did he go?This sentence shows how to ask for a destination using dónde.Tatoeba #1213965 by marcelostockle, translation #292031 by CK
- No sé dónde está.I don't know where it is.This sentence demonstrates using dónde in an indirect question.Tatoeba #746563 by Shishir, translation #2361278 by CK
- ¿De dónde es Tom?Where is Tom from?This sentence shows how to use de dónde to ask about someone's origin.Tatoeba #2224559 by Shishir, translation #5576968 by CK
- Disculpe, ¿dónde se encuentra el Museo de Arte Moderno?Excuse me, where is the Museum of Modern Art located?
- Buenos días, ¿dónde está la estación de tren?Good morning, where is the train station?
- Oye, ¿dónde está el baño?Hey, where is the bathroom?
- Chicos, ¿dónde queda el restaurante que les mencioné?Guys, where is the restaurant I mentioned to you?
- ¿Dónde queda la plaza del pueblo?Where is the town square?
- ¿Dónde está la playa más cercana?Where is the nearest beach?
- 2114 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are looking for a lost set of keys.
- MaríaJavier, ¿dónde están las llaves?Javier, where are the keys?
- JavierNo recuerdo dónde las puse.I don't remember where I put them.
- María¿Miraste dónde dejamos las bolsas?Did you look where we left the bags?
- JavierSí, pero no están allí.Yes, but they are not there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “where” translations and entries dónde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
