hvar / hvert / hvaðan
Where, Where to and Where from
English uses one word, where. Icelandic has three: hvar (where at), hvert (where to) and hvaðan (where from).
How It Works
Three questions, three kinds of answers
- hvar → a place: Hvar ertu? – Heima. (Where are you? – At home.)
- hvert → a goal: Hvert ertu að fara? – Heim. (Where are you going? – Home.)
- hvaðan → a starting point: Hvaðan ertu? – Frá Póllandi. (Where are you from? – From Poland.)
Notice that heima and heim follow the same split: see Home (heim, heima). Icelandic makes this where / where to / where from difference in many words: Where At, Where To and Where From.
Which verbs go with which?
vera, búa and vinna go with hvar. fara, ferðast and koma in the sense of arriving somewhere go with hvert. koma frá and vera frá go with hvaðan: Hvaðan kemurðu?
A word with two jobs
hvert is also a form of Who (hver). Hvert barn means each child. In a where-to question it simply means to which place.
Examples (6)
- Hvar býrðu?
Where do you live?
Word by Word: Where live-you?
- Hvar er klósettið?
Where is the toilet?
Word by Word: Where is the-toilet?
- Hvert ertu að fara? – Heim.
Where are you going? – Home.
Word by Word: Where-to are-you to go? – Home.
fara is a verb of movement, so the question is hvert.
- Hvert viltu fara í sumar?
Where do you want to go this summer?
Word by Word: Where-to want-you go in summer?
- Hvaðan ertu? – Frá Póllandi.
Where are you from? – From Poland.
Word by Word: Where-from are-you? – From Poland.
- Hvaðan kemur þú?
Where do you come from?
Word by Word: Where-from come you?
Common Mistakes
Using hvar with a verb of movement.
Hvar ertu að fara?Hvert ertu að fara?fara describes movement toward a goal, so ask with hvert (where to). hvar asks only where something is.
Using hvar to ask where someone comes from.
Hvar kemurðu?Hvaðan kemurðu?Starting points are asked with hvaðan (where from).
How It Connects
Learn This First
Where-questions build on hvað.
Related Patterns
- Where At, Where To and Where From
Many place words have the same at / to / from split as hvar, hvert and hvaðan.
Level 2 - heim / heimaHome (Heim, Heima)
heima answers hvar and heim answers hvert.
Level 1 - hér / þarHere and There (Hér, Þar)
hér and þar are common answers to hvar.
Level 1 - koma fráSaying Where You Are from
Hvaðan kemurðu? is answered with koma frá and a place in the dative.
Level 1 - búaSaying Where You Live (Búa)
Hvar býrðu? is one of the first questions learners hear.
Level 1 - Movement or Location With í and á
The same idea decides between the accusative and the dative after í and á.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice hvar / hvert / hvaðan in Bubblegum
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