waar ... vandaan/heen
Where from and Where to
To ask where from, say Waar kom jy vandaan? To ask where to, say Waar gaan jy heen?
How It Works
Plain waar asks where something is. To ask about movement, Afrikaans adds a direction word:
- vandaan = from: Waar kom jy vandaan? (Where are you from? / Where do you come from?)
- heen = to: Waar gaan jy heen? (Where are you going?)
Split or joined. Usually waar starts the question and vandaan or heen comes at the end. The two parts can also be joined into one word at the start: Waarvandaan kom jy?, Waarheen gaan jy? Both are correct. The split form is more common with vandaan, while the joined waarheen is common too.
With a final verb. Vandaan and heen come just before a verb at the end: Waar wil julle vanaand heen gaan? (Where do you want to go tonight?)
Polite form. With u, the pattern stays the same: Waar kom u vandaan?
Answering. Answer where from with van: Ek kom van Durban. Answer where to with na or with a place + toe: Ek gaan na Kaapstad or Ek gaan Kaapstad toe.
Examples (6)
- Waar kom jy vandaan?
Where are you from?
Word by Word: Where come you from-there?
- Waar gaan jy heen?
Where are you going?
Word by Word: Where go you to?
- Waarheen gaan julle met vakansie?
Where are you going on holiday?
Word by Word: Where-to go you (plural) with holiday?
Waar and heen are joined at the start.
- Waar kom u vandaan?
Where are you from? (polite)
Word by Word: Where come you from-there?
- Waar kom die trein vandaan?
Where does the train come from?
Word by Word: Where comes the train from-there?
- Waar wil julle vanaand heen gaan?
Where do you want to go tonight?
Word by Word: Where want you (plural) tonight to go?
Heen comes just before the final verb gaan.
Common Mistakes
Ending the question with van, like English from.
Waar kom jy van?Waar kom jy vandaan?In standard Afrikaans, a where-from question ends with vandaan, not with the plain preposition van.
Using the joined form and repeating vandaan at the end.
Waarvandaan kom jy vandaan?Waarvandaan kom jy?Choose one pattern. Either join the parts at the start (Waarvandaan kom jy?) or split them (Waar kom jy vandaan?), but do not say vandaan twice.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Asking where from and where to builds on the question word waar.
Related Patterns
- vanOf and from
Answer a where-from question with van + place.
Level 1 - naTo (Direction)
Answer a where-to question with na + place.
Level 1 - Noun + toeGoing Somewhere: Huis Toe
Place + toe is another common way to say where you are going.
Level 1 - van ... af/na ... toeVan ... Af and Na ... Toe
Van ... af and na ... toe use a similar word at the end.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice waar ... vandaan/heen in Bubblegum
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