por dónde
/poɾ donde/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "which way" is por dónde.
Por dónde is used to ask for a direction or a route to a specific place.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "through where", with por meaning "through/by" and dónde meaning "where".
Which one should you use?
While dónde asks for a specific location (where), por dónde asks for the route or path (which way/through where).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the preposition por is required when asking for a route or direction to indicate movement through a space. The word 'camino' can be replaced by ruta in some regions.
Did you know?
- Asking ¿Por dónde vas? in many Latin American countries can be interpreted as asking about a person's general progress in life or their current behavior.
- In certain regions, por dónde can be used to ask for a general approximation of a cost or a number, much like saying 'around where' in English.
- The preposition por in por dónde is a linguistic descendant of the Latin prō, which originally meant 'for' or 'on behalf of'. This evolution shows how a word meaning 'on behalf of' shifted to signify movement through or along a space.
Examples in context
- ¿Por dónde queda más cerca?Which way is the nearest?This sentence is useful for asking which way is the nearest using por dónde.Tatoeba #1426366 by marcelostockle, translation #37952 by CM
- ¿Por dónde se fue?Which way did he go?This sentence is useful for asking which way someone went using por dónde.Tatoeba #10784034 by megamanenm, translation #2967431 by Hybrid
- ¿Por dónde debo ir?Which way should I go?This sentence is useful for asking which way you should go using por dónde.Tatoeba #10741938 by megamanenm, translation #37920 by CK
- Excuse me, sir. ¿Por dónde se va a la estación de tren?Excuse me, sir. Which way is it to the train station?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are looking for the museum in a city.
- Lucía¿Por dónde se llega al museo?Which way do you get to the museum?
- DanielTienes que doblar a la derecha.You have to turn right.
- Lucía¿Por dónde es más rápido?Which way is faster?
- DanielEs mejor ir por esta calle, Lucía.It is better to go through this street, Lucía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dónde, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
