адкуль
Question Word Адкуль
Адкуль means where from: Адкуль вы? — Я з Мінска. (Where are you from? — I am from Minsk.)
How It Works
Адкуль is the third member of the place-question family: дзе (where), куды (where to) and адкуль (where from).
Answering.
- з + genitive for places and activities: з Мінска, з Польшчы, з працы. See from with з.
- ад + genitive for people: ад сябра (from a friend). See ад with the genitive.
- direction words: адтуль (from there), адсюль (from here)
Asking where someone is from. The short question Адкуль вы? or Адкуль ты? needs no verb. You can add родам (by birth): Адкуль ты родам?
Figurative use. Адкуль can also ask about a source of knowledge: Адкуль ты гэта ведаеш? (How do you know that? Literally: from where do you know it?)
Examples (5)
- Адкуль вы? — Я з Мінска.
Where are you from? — I am from Minsk.
Word by Word: From-where you? — I from Minsk.
Мінска is the genitive of Мінск after з.
- Адкуль ты родам? — З Гродна.
Where are you from originally? — From Hrodna.
Word by Word: From-where you by-birth? — From Hrodna.
- Адкуль ты ідзеш? — З працы.
Where are you coming from? — From work.
Word by Word: From-where you go? — From work.
- Адкуль едзе гэты цягнік? — З Брэста.
Where is this train coming from? — From Brest.
Word by Word: From-where rides this train? — From Brest.
- Адкуль ты гэта ведаеш?
How do you know that?
Word by Word: From-where you this know?
Here адкуль asks about a source of knowledge, not a place.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the place name in the nominative after з.
Я з Мінск.Я з Мінска.З meaning from takes the genitive, so Мінск becomes Мінска.
Using адкуль to ask where someone lives now.
Адкуль ты жывеш?Дзе ты жывеш?Адкуль asks about origin. Where you live now is a location, so use дзе.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Адкуль follows куды.
Related Patterns
- з + GenitiveFrom with З and the Genitive
The usual way to answer адкуль.
Level 1 - дзеQuestion Word Дзе
Asks where something is.
Level 1 - ад + GenitiveFrom with Ад and the Genitive
Answers адкуль when the source is a person.
Level 2 - дзе / куды / адкульWhere, Where to and Where from
Compares all three place questions and their answers.
Level 2 - з / саThe Preposition Variants З and Са
Explains when з becomes са, as in са школы.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice адкуль in Bubblegum
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