de dónde es
/de donde es/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase used to ask where someone else is from is de dónde es.
This phrase is used to inquire about a person's place of origin. When providing an answer, you can use the pattern [Nombre de la persona] es de [nombre del país] to say a person is from a specific country or use the pattern [Nombre de la persona] es [nacionalidad] to state their nationality.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of de (from), dónde (where) and es (is).
Which one should you use?
De dónde es is used when asking about a third-person singular subject (he or she) or the formal version of you. In contrast, de dónde eres is used to ask where the informal 'you' (tú) is from.
How does it change in a sentence?
To adjust the phrase for different subjects, you can change the verb: use de dónde eres for the informal 'you' and use de dónde son to ask where a group of people (they/you all) is from.
Did you know?
- The word dónde carries a written accent mark called a 'tilde' only when it is used in a question or exclamation.
- While English speakers often ask 'Where are you from?', a Spanish speaker might respond to de dónde es by naming a very small village instead of a country, as local identity is often more significant than national identity.
- The Spanish preposition de is derived from the Latin 'dē', which originally suggested a movement 'down from' a place.
Examples in context
- Roberto es de EspañaRoberto is from Spain
- Roberto es españolRoberto is Spanish
- ¿De dónde es usted?Where are you from? (formal)
- ¿De dónde es ella?Where is she from?
- No sé de dónde es él.I don't know where he is from.
- Dime de dónde es tu profesor.Tell me where your teacher is from.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a new student in their class.
- Sofía¿De dónde es el estudiante nuevo?Where is the new student from?
- MateoNo estoy seguro, pero creo que es de Italia.I'm not sure, but I think he is from Italy.
- Sofía¡Qué interesante!How interesting!
- MateoSí, espero conocerlo pronto.Yes, I hope to meet him soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, dónde, es, CC BY-SA 4.0.
