wo/wohin/woher

Where/To Where/From Where

Level 1

Wo = Static location (Where at?)
Wohin = Movement toward (Where to?)
Woher = Movement from (Where from?)

How It Works

German uses three distinct words to ask 'where' depending on the direction of movement:

  • Wo: Asks about a static location (Where?). Answers often use two-way prepositions with the Dative case to show position.
  • Wohin: Asks about a destination (Where to?). Answers often use the Accusative case with two-way prepositions, or prepositions like nach and zu (which always take the Dative).
  • Woher: Asks about the origin (Where from?). It is usually answered with aus or von.

Directional Logic:
The particles hin and her indicate direction relative to the speaker:

  • hin: Away from the speaker (e.g., Dorthin - to there).
  • her: Toward the speaker (e.g., Hierher - to here).

The 'Split' Rule:
In spoken German, hin and her are often separated from wo and placed at the end of the sentence:
Wohin gehst du? (Standard/Written) → Wo gehst du hin? (Spoken)
Woher kommst du? (Standard/Written) → Wo kommst du her? (Spoken)

Examples (6)

  1. Wo bist du? — Ich bin im Park.

    Where are you? — I am in the park.

    Word by Word: Where are you? — I am in-the park.

    Uses 'wo' for location. The answer uses the Dative case (im Park) because it describes a static position.

  2. Wohin gehst du? — Ich gehe in den Park.

    Where are you going? — I am going into the park.

    Word by Word: Where-to go you? — I go into the park.

    Uses 'wohin' for destination. The answer uses the Accusative case (in den Park) because it describes movement toward a place.

  3. Woher kommst du? — Ich komme aus der Schweiz.

    Where do you come from? — I come from Switzerland.

    Word by Word: Where-from come you? — I come out-of the Switzerland.

    Uses 'woher' for origin. The preposition 'aus' always takes the Dative case.

  4. Wo läufst du hin?

    Where are you running to?

    Word by Word: Where run you to?

    In spoken German, 'wohin' is often split, with 'hin' moving to the end of the sentence.

  5. Wohin fährst du? — Ich fahre nach Berlin.

    Where are you driving to? — I am driving to Berlin.

    Word by Word: Where-to drive you? — I drive to Berlin.

    The preposition 'nach' is commonly used with 'wohin' for cities and countries.

  6. Woher hast du das Geld?

    Where did you get the money from?

    Word by Word: Where-from have you the money?

    Asks about the source or origin of the money.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'wo' for destination in standard German.

    Wo gehst du?
    Wohin gehst du?

    While 'wo' is sometimes used for destination in very casual speech, standard German requires 'wohin' to indicate movement toward a goal. 'Wo gehst du?' literally asks in what area you are walking.

  • Using 'wo' for origin.

    Wo kommst du?
    Woher kommst du?

    To ask where someone is from, you must include the 'her' particle to indicate the source or origin.

  • Confusing the case in the answer.

    Wohin gehst du? - In dem Kino.
    Wohin gehst du? - Ins Kino.

    The question 'wohin' signals movement. If you answer with a two-way preposition like 'in', you must use the Accusative case (ins / in das).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

wo/wohin/woherLevel 1Where/To Where/From Where

Learn This First

To use 'wo', 'wohin', and 'woher' effectively, you need to understand how to form basic German questions (word order) and how to conjugate verbs in the present tense to accompany these question words.

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wohin