¿dónde está tu hermano?
The English phrase "where is your brother?" is translated into Spanish as ¿dónde está tu hermano?
This phrase is a question used to ask about the current location of someone's brother.
Which one should you use?
In the phrase tu hermano, the word tu (without an accent) means "your". This is distinct from tú (with an accent), which means "you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb used is está (from the verb estar) because the question refers to location rather than a permanent characteristic. To make the question formal or polite, you can replace the informal tu with the formal su as seen in ¿dónde está su hermano?
Did you know?
- The word hermano shares a root with the English word 'germane'. Both come from the Latin germānus, which originally described siblings born of the same parents.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, hermano can be used as a slang term for a close friend, similar to how English speakers use 'bro' or 'mate'.
- While English uses 'siblings' to refer to both brothers and sisters, Spanish uses the masculine plural hermanos to describe any group of brothers and sisters together.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking on the phone.
- MateoHola Lucía, ¿dónde está tu hermano?Hello Lucía, where is your brother?
- LucíaÉl está en el trabajo.He is at work.
- MateoAh, entiendo.Ah, I understand.
- LucíaSí, Mateo, él está muy ocupado.Yes, Mateo, he is very busy.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dónde, hermano, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
