German · Greetings & Essentials
"Where?" in German: wo?
wo?
Where in German is wo?. Use wo for location: Wo bist du?. Motion toward a place often needs wohin, and origin uses woher.
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How to pronounce wo?
Say it
VOH
/voː/
VOH. Pure o as in go without a glide. Rising question tone.
"Where?" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| wo? | where? Location. | Location. |
| wohin? | where to? Direction toward. | Direction toward. |
| woher? | where from? Origin. | Origin. |
| irgendwo | somewhere Indefinite place. | Indefinite place. |
How to use wo? in real life
- 1Phone call
Wo bist du gerade?
Where are you right now?
Wo + location.
- 2Finding keys
Wo liegen meine Schlüssel?
Where are my keys?
Wo with liegen.
- 3Café meetup
Wo sitzt ihr—drin oder draußen?
Where are you sitting—inside or outside?
Wo sitzt.
Mistakes English speakers make with wo?
Incorrect: Wo gehst du? (for where to)
Correct: Wohin gehst du?
Motion toward a place usually wants wohin.
Incorrect: Where bist du?
Correct: Wo bist du?
Use wo, not English where.
Good to know
Learners mix wo and wohin constantly. Locals forgive it, but wohin sounds cleaner for going somewhere. Woher kommst du? is classic getting-to-know-you talk.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting up downtown
ChatPal
Wo bist du jetzt?
Where are you now?
You
Am Markt. Wo bist du?
At the market. Where are you?
ChatPal
Zwei Minuten entfernt. Wo genau am Markt?
Two minutes away. Where exactly at the market?
You
Beim Brunnen. Wo wir immer stehen.
By the fountain. Where we always stand.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Where?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Where?" in German
Wo vs wohin?
Wo = location; wohin = where to.
How do you say where are you from?
Woher kommst du?
How do you say somewhere?
Irgendwo.
How do you say nowhere?
Nirgendwo / nirgends.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
