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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/de-woher-kommen-sie

How do you politely ask a stranger 'Where are you from?' in German?

Woher kommen Sie? asks where someone comes from.

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  1. Wohin gehen Sie?
  2. Wer sind Sie?
  3. Woher kommen Sie? ✔

Why: Woher means 'from where' and kommen means 'come'. Wohin gehen Sie asks where you are going, and Wer sind Sie asks who you are.

Huh, didn't know that: To answer, say 'Ich komme aus' followed by your country.

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What did E.T.'s mother say to him when he got home? Where on Earth have you been?
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References

Answer: Woher kommen Sie?. Woher means 'from where' and kommen means 'come'. Wohin gehen Sie asks where you are going, and Wer sind Sie asks who you are.

  1. Wiktionary: woher en.wiktionary.org/wiki/woher
    woher where from, whence. Woher kommt ihr? (informal, plural) Where do you come from?
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. Wiktionary: kommen en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kommen
    (intransitive) to come; to arrive
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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