woher
where from
Used as a question word to ask about the origin, provenance, or source of something or someone.
EXAMPLE
Woher weißt du das alles?
Where do you know all that from?
woher
where from
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Meanings
woher
from where
Introduces a subordinate clause that describes the origin or source of something.
EXAMPLE
Das ist die Stadt, woher meine Großeltern stammen.
That is the city my grandparents come from.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Woher' (where from) is a combination of 'wo' (where/place) and 'her' (movement away from a place, toward the speaker). So it always asks about origin or provenance.
EXAMPLE
Woher hast du diese schöne Jacke?
Where did you get this beautiful jacket?
Word order
Word order depends on the type of sentence. In a direct question, the conjugated verb comes directly after 'woher' (where from). In a subordinate clause (e.g., in an indirect question), the conjugated verb comes at the end.
EXAMPLE
Woher kommt diese Musik?
Where is this music coming from?
Typical question verbs
As a question word, 'woher' (where from) is very often used with the verbs 'kommen' (to come), 'wissen' (to know), and 'haben' (to have) to ask about origin, source of information, or where something was obtained.
EXAMPLE
Woher kennst du meinen Bruder?
How do you know my brother?
Compare with
woher vs wo
where
Wo and woher both ask for spatial information, but about different points. Wo refers to the current location or position, while woher asks about origin, provenance, or source. Use wo for a fixed location and woher for the starting point or origin.
woher
Woher kommt das Fahrrad, das gestern angekommen ist?
Where did the bicycle that arrived yesterday come from?
wo
Wo steht das Fahrrad, das gestern angekommen ist?
Where is the bicycle that arrived yesterday?
In real life
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