woher du kommst
The English phrase "where you are from" can be translated into German as woher du kommst.
This phrase refers to the place where a person was born or grew up.
What does it mean word for word?
The word woher is a combination of wo (where) and her (towards the speaker), meaning literally "from where".
Which one should you use?
While English often uses the verb "to be" to express this idea, German uses the verb kommen (to come).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase woher du kommst uses the informal singular du for "you", whereas the formal version woher Sie kommen uses the formal Sie.
Did you know?
- The word du is a distant relative of the archaic English word 'thou'. Both descend from a common Proto-Germanic ancestor used for the singular second person.
- In a professional context, using du in the phrase woher du kommst can be a significant social boundary cross if the other person has not explicitly offered the 'Du-proposition'.
- German has a specific word Herkunft to describe the concept of 'where you are from'. It combines 'her' (towards) and 'kunft' (coming), turning the action of coming into a noun for origin.
Examples in context
- Ursprünglich stamme ich aus der Schweiz.Originally, I come from Switzerland.
- Ich komme aus Bayern.I am from Bavaria.
- I b' a Ösi.I am an Austrian.
- Ich weiß nicht, woher du kommst.I don't know where you are from.
- Kann ich fragen, woher du kommst?Can I ask where you are from?
- Erzähl mir, woher du kommst.Tell me where you are from.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are meeting for the first time at a party.
- LukasHallo, ich bin Lukas. Und woher kommst du?Hello, I am Lukas. And where are you from?
- SarahIch heiße Sarah und ich komme aus Berlin.My name is Sarah and I am from Berlin.
- LukasIch habe nur geraten, woher du kommst.I just guessed where you are from.
- SarahDas ist ja lustig!That is funny!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, woher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
