{"id":18244,"date":"2022-04-22T11:38:35","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T11:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=18244"},"modified":"2022-05-05T10:14:27","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T10:14:27","slug":"where-are-you-from-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/where-are-you-from-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Slick Ways to Say &#8220;Where are you from&#8221; in Spanish"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to speak Spanish like a native, you need to use many expressions. Saying the same sentences multiple times can become boring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asking someone where they are from is an important conversation starter. So if you want to know how to ask this and get it right, keep reading.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to Ask &ldquo;Where are you from&rdquo; in Spanish<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde eres?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde es usted?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde vienes?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde viene usted?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;D&oacute;nde naciste?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;D&oacute;nde naci&oacute; usted?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es su nacionalidad?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es tu nacionalidad?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;De qu&eacute; pa&iacute;s vienes?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>&iquest;De qu&eacute; pa&iacute;s viene usted?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>1. &iquest;De d&oacute;nde eres?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&rsquo;s start by talking about the most common way to say where are you from in Spanish. The translation of &lsquo;<\/span><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde eres?&rsquo; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">literally translates to &ldquo;From &lsquo;de&rsquo; where &lsquo;donde are &lsquo;eres&rsquo; you &rsquo;tu&rsquo;?&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is the informal way of conjugating<\/span><strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/soy-vs-estoy\/\">the verb &lsquo;ser<\/a>.&rsquo;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Spanish, you use this when you &lsquo;tutear&rsquo; someone. Tutear means to use &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t&uacute;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&rsquo;, the informal version of &lsquo;you&rsquo;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can &lsquo;tutear&rsquo; people you know or people you meet in informal settings. It is not appropriate to use this when talking to someone in a position of power or respect.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can always tell an informal verb in Spanish because it will end with the letter s. &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">T&uacute;&rsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the only Spanish pronoun that makes a verb end in s.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The verb here is &lsquo;ser&rsquo;. You see &lsquo;eres&rsquo; and it ends in s, so you know it&rsquo;s informal for the pronoun &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t&uacute;.&rsquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is an example and for context, these people are blood-related but meeting for the first time.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example:<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Luisa: Hola,<\/b> <b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde eres?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hi, where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Maria: Soy de Venezuela.&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am from Venezuela.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can never use &lsquo;estar&rsquo; to say where you are from. &lsquo;Estar&rsquo; means there is a change in condition but where we are from is permanent.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of the examples in this blog will use &lsquo;ser&rsquo; because you are learning how to ask someone about something permanent.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you reply you also need to use ser in the first person in Spanish. You must say &lsquo;soy de&rsquo; which means I am from then the country&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. &iquest;De d&oacute;nde es usted?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is another way of asking &ldquo;Where are you from?&rdquo; in Spanish. It translates to &ldquo;From where are you?&rdquo; but in this example you are using the formal version of you &lsquo;usted&rsquo;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should use &lsquo;usted&rsquo; when talking to people you do not know or people who deserve respect.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some examples are a doctor, police officer, or teacher. You should still use formal language even if you already know these people.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The meaning of &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&iquest;De d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&oacute;nde eres?&rsquo; and &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&iquest;De d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&oacute;nde es usted?&rsquo; Is the same. These translate to &ldquo;from where are you?&rdquo; in English.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people in Latin America will ignore that &lsquo;usted&rsquo; is formal and use it when talking to anyone they know. In Colombia, it is common for people to say &lsquo;usted&rsquo; for everyone they talk to.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, in Spain, &lsquo;usted&rsquo; is rarely used. The use of formal and informal language depends on the country you are in.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here you are still using &lsquo;ser&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;estar&rsquo; but it is conjugated as &lsquo;es&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;eres.&rsquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lsquo;Ser&rsquo; and &lsquo;Estar&rsquo; are irregular verbs. The conjugation rule of seeing an s for informal verbs is not relevant.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With most verbs, you can follow the rule of s at the end of the verb. It is easy to notice most of the time unless a verb is irregular.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example and in this situation, a woman is talking to her doctor.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example:<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Josefina: <\/b><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde es usted?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Doctor: Soy de Mexico.&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am from Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In both the formal and informal responses the speaker replies with &lsquo;soy de&rsquo; and then the country. &lsquo;Soy de&rsquo; means &ldquo;I am from&rdquo;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The doctor says, &ldquo;I am from Mexico.&rdquo; You must use ser because where you are from is permanent.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. &iquest;De d&oacute;nde vienes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is another way to say &ldquo;where are you from?&rdquo; in Spanish. This version is lesson common and is only used in certain contexts.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The literal translation of this is &ldquo;From &lsquo;de&rsquo; where &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&oacute;nde<\/span><b>&rsquo; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you come &lsquo;vienes&rsquo;? &lsquo;Venir&rsquo; means to come and it is also an irregular verb with a stem change.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A stem change means the verb changes before its ending. All verbs in Spanish end with er, ir or ar so the change happens before these endings.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common stem change in Spanish is e&gt;ie. When a verb has an e&gt;ie stem change and there are two e&rsquo;s in the second e becomes ie.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lsquo;Venir&rsquo; has a stem change in the first e because it is stressed.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stem changes only happen with certain forms of the verb. If a verb is conjugated with <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for &lsquo;yo&rsquo; (I), &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t&uacute;&rsquo; (informal you), el (he), &lsquo;ella&rsquo; (she)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, &lsquo;ellos&rsquo; (they), &lsquo;ellas&rsquo; (feminine they), or &lsquo;usted&rsquo; (formal you) it usually triggers a stem change but not always.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is impossible to recognize a stem-changing verb at first glance.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only way to know if a verb is a stem-change is to memorize it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You use this when you want to ask someone where they are really from. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the informal version and we can tell because the verb &lsquo;venir&rsquo; ends with an s.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should only use this if you talk with someone and want to know where they are originally from.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common situation may be if someone cannot speak English but live in America. If they speak Spanish and live in America.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For context Juan is asking Jose where he is originally from. Currently, he lives in the USA but is learning how to speak English.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example:<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Juan: <\/b><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde vienes?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Vengo de Argentina.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am from Argentina.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here Juan is asking Jose &ldquo;from where do you come?&rdquo; It is informal so Jose does not hold a position of power or respect.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jose replies, &ldquo;I come &lsquo;vengo&rsquo; from &lsquo;de&rsquo; Argentina.&rdquo; &lsquo;Venir&rsquo; is a highly irregular verb.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you say &lsquo;venir&rsquo; in the first person singular &lsquo;yo&rsquo; the ending of the verb &lsquo;ir&rsquo; becomes go.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no way to understand this without memorizing it or exposure.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18252\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish.jpg\" alt=\"How to Say Where are you from in Spanish\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-512x768.jpg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-640x960.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-720x1080.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18252 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"How to Say Where are you from in Spanish\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-512x768.jpg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-640x960.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/How-to-Say-Where-are-you-from-in-Spanish-720x1080.jpg 720w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4. &iquest;De d&oacute;nde viene usted?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again we have the same sentence as above. The only difference is formality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although you can use this to ask someone where they are from, it is not recommended. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As this is a less formal way of asking &ldquo;where are you from?&rdquo; and it is more personal it is recommended to reserve this for someone you have met multiple times.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure you do not use this when talking to someone for the first time. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, use it after you have gotten to know the person but they are still in a position of power or respect.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A great context for when to use this informal saying with the formal you &lsquo;usted&rsquo; is when talking to a professor and you are nearly finished with your course.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only difference between &lsquo;&iquest;De d&oacute;nde vienes?&rsquo; and &lsquo;&iquest;De d&oacute;nde viene usted?&rsquo; Is the formality and adding the pronoun &lsquo;usted&rsquo; at the end of the question.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must include this formal pronoun after the verb or it could be confused for &lsquo;el&rsquo; (he). In Spanish, the conjugation for &lsquo;el&rsquo; (he) and formal &lsquo;usted&rsquo; (you) are the same.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always include &lsquo;usted&rsquo; after the verb or the person you are speaking to will not understand who the question is directed at.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>5. &iquest;D&oacute;nde naciste?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is a follow up question to clarify where someone is from in Spanish. You can use this after asking &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&iquest;De d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&oacute;nde vienes?&rsquo;<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or &lsquo;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&iquest;De d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&oacute;nde eres?&rsquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This literally translates to &ldquo;where &lsquo;d&oacute;nde&rsquo; were you born &lsquo;naciste&rsquo;?&rdquo; You should never ask this initially as it can be offensive.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if you are talking to someone and want more clarification on where they&rsquo;re from you can ask this.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lsquo;Nacer&rsquo; means to be born. We must conjugate this using the past tense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a finished action that is not in progress. You can only be born once so you must use the <\/span>past preterite<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The past preterite tells you that an action is completed in the past. You know this is informal because the past preterite of &lsquo;tu&rsquo; changes the ending of the verb to -ste.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a verb ends in ar you will always use -aste. If a verb ends with er or ie you will conjugate it in the past using -iste.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of how to use this to get a better understanding of where someone is from.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Juan: Hola, <\/b><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde eres?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hi, where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Soy de Houston, Texas.&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am from Houston, Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Juan: Pero, &iquest;D&oacute;nde naciste?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But where were you born?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*Where are you originally from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Yo <\/b><b>nac&iacute; en Mexico.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was born in Mexico.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*I&rsquo;m originally from Mexico.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When translated to English this can also mean, &ldquo;where are you from originally?&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>6. &iquest;D&oacute;nde naci&oacute; usted?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this example, you are asking someone where they were born. It is formal because we see &lsquo;usted.&rsquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can use this as a follow-up to gain more information about where someone is from in Spanish.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must use the past preterite in Spanish. The past preterite tells us that the action is finished.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you conjugate the past preterite in Spanish with &lsquo;usted&rsquo; (formal you) the conjugation depends on the verb&rsquo;s ending.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For verbs ending in er and ir you must change the ending to -i&oacute;. If a verb ends in ar you must replace it with &oacute;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is an example of using this to get more information about where someone is from.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Juan: Hola, <\/b><b>&iquest;De d<\/b><b>&oacute;nde es usted?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hi, where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Soy de Houston, Texas.&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am from Houston, Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Juan: Pero, &iquest;D&oacute;nde naci&oacute; usted?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But where were you born?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*Where are you originally from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Yo <\/b><b>nac&iacute; en Mexico.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When translate into English this can mean, &ldquo;where are you from originally?&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>7. &iquest;Cu&aacute;l es tu nacionalidad?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another common way of asking someone where they are from is to ask which country they are from. You can ask someone this question when you want to know the exact location of their origin<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The literal translation of this is &ldquo;Which is your nationality?&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&lsquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.uci.edu\/manueldelalto\/chapter-files\/que-vs-cual-graphic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qu&eacute;&rsquo; (what) and &lsquo;cu&aacute;l<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>&rsquo;<\/strong> (which) are common interrogatives (question words) in Spanish. Like in English, their appropriate use can be confusing.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should use &lsquo;qu&eacute;&rsquo; when you ask for a definition of something and &lsquo;cu&aacute;l&rsquo; when there are multiple responses to a question.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As someone could be from a variety of countries, you must use &lsquo;cu&aacute;l.&rsquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In English, this will still translate as &ldquo;what.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can use this question when you first meet someone or after you have met them a few times. Both are fine and it is not offensive.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most Spanish speakers will appreciate this question because there are 20 countries where Spanish is the national language.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Juan: Hola, <\/b><b>&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es tu nacionalidad<\/b><b>?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hi, where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Soy venezolano.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am Venezuelan.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you respond to this question you need to state your nationality. Jose replies to Juan by saying I am &lsquo;soy venezolano&rsquo; (venezuelan).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although this can be translated as &ldquo;where are you from?&rdquo; you cannot answer &ldquo;I am from &lsquo;soy de&rsquo;&rdquo; because the question requires you to answer with a nationality.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>8. &iquest;Cu&aacute;l es su nacionalidad?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is the formal way to ask someone where they are from and what their nationality is at the same time.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again we must use &lsquo;cu&aacute;l&rsquo; because the person you are speaking with could respond with multiple answers.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notice that the question says &lsquo;su&rsquo; and not &lsquo;tu.&rsquo; You must say &lsquo;su&rsquo; because this is a question for a formal situation, an unknown person, a person in power, or a role requiring respect.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;Su&rdquo; lets you know that the question is being used with &lsquo;usted.&rsquo; Here, the only indicator is &lsquo;su.&rsquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So when you want to ask someone formally you must include it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lsquo;&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es su nacionalidad?&rsquo; and &lsquo;&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es tu nacionalidad?&rsquo; Both mean &ldquo;where are you from?&rdquo; and &ldquo;what is your nationality?&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is an example using this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Juan: Hola, <\/b><b>&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es su nacionalidad<\/b><b>?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hi, where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Soy Mexicano.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am Mexican.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>9. &iquest;De qu&eacute; pa&iacute;s vienes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is a variation of &lsquo;&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es tu nacionalidad?&rsquo; combined with &lsquo;&iquest;De d&oacute;nde vienes?&rsquo; You can use this to ask someone about the country they come from.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is okay to use this when you first meet someone and it literally translates into &ldquo;From what country do come?&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here you can use &lsquo;qu&eacute;&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;cu&aacute;&rsquo;l because you know the person will answer with a singular answer. When you ask this question with &lsquo;cu&aacute;l&rsquo; it does not make sense.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The phrase is to use &lsquo;qu&eacute;&rsquo; although there are multiple possibilities. You are not asking about all of the possibilities, only the one country the person comes from.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Juan: Hola, <\/b><b>&iquest;De qu&eacute; pa&iacute;s vienes?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hi, which country are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Vengo de Mexicano.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&rsquo;m from Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*I come from Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>10. &iquest;De qu&eacute; pa&iacute;s viene usted?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saying this is the same as &lsquo;&iquest;De qu&eacute; pa&iacute;s vienes?&rsquo; The only difference is the formality of the situation.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please note that as mentioned above we must include &lsquo;usted&rsquo; (formal you) at the end of the sentence. If you do not the person you are speaking to can confuse the subject for &lsquo;el&rsquo; (he) instead of &lsquo;usted&rsquo; (formal you).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-grey\">\n<p><b>Juan: Hola, <\/b><b>&iquest;De qu&eacute; pa&iacute;s viene usted?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hi, which country are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*Hi, where are you from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jose: Vengo de Colombia.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&rsquo;m from Colombia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*I come from Colombia.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you want to speak Spanish like a native, you need to use many expressions. Saying the same sentences multiple times can become boring. Asking someone where they are from is an important conversation starter. So if you want to know how to ask this and get it right, keep reading.&nbsp; &nbsp; How to Ask &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18532,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[945],"class_list":["post-18244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spanish","tag-where-are-you-from-in-spanish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18244"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18265,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18244\/revisions\/18265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}