01
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
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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 have to do with places, but they do not ask about the same thing. 'wo' asks about the place where someone or something is. 'woher' asks about the origin, background, or source. So you can ask: 'Wo bist du?' (Where are you?) and 'Woher kommst du?' (Where do you come from?). The first asks about the current location; the second asks about the starting point. These words are often confused because they look similar and both give information about place.
woher
Emma fragt den Techniker, woher die lauten Geräusche im Computer kommen.
Emma asks the technician where the loud noises in the computer are coming from.
wo
Wo ist der Laden, in dem du die Schuhe kaufen willst?
Where is the shop where you want to buy the shoes?
In real life
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