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A question asking about a person's country or place of origin.
Contexte culturel
Koreans often ask '어디에서 왔어요?' to find out someone's hometown (고향). Knowing someone's hometown can create an instant bond if you share the same origin. For foreigners in Korea, this is the most frequent question. It's seen as a friendly way to start a conversation, though some long-term residents might find it repetitive. Defectors from North Korea might be sensitive to this question. They often use the term '고향' (hometown) to refer to their origins in the North. In business, asking about origin is a way to build 'Rapport'. It's common to follow up with a compliment about the person's country or city.
The '서' Shortcut
Native speakers almost always say '어디서' instead of '어디에서'. Use the short version to sound more natural!
Don't forget the Past Tense
Always use '왔어요' (came), not '와요' (come). If you say '어디에서 와요?', people will think you are asking where they just walked from (like the bathroom or the office).
Signification
A question asking about a person's country or place of origin.
The '서' Shortcut
Native speakers almost always say '어디서' instead of '어디에서'. Use the short version to sound more natural!
Don't forget the Past Tense
Always use '왔어요' (came), not '와요' (come). If you say '어디에서 와요?', people will think you are asking where they just walked from (like the bathroom or the office).
Follow up with 'Wow!'
When someone tells you where they are from, it's polite to say '와! 정말요?' (Wow! Really?) or '가보고 싶어요!' (I want to go there!).
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing particle and verb to ask 'Where are you from?'
어디____ ____어요?
'에서' is the correct particle for origin, and '왔' is the past tense stem of 'to come'.
Which of the following is the most polite way to ask a teacher where they are from?
Choose the correct honorific form:
The infix '-시-' in '오셨어요' makes the sentence honorific and respectful.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
가: 어디에서 왔어요? 나: ________________.
The response should mirror the question's structure: [Place] + 에서 왔어요.
Match the phrase to the correct social situation.
Phrase: '어디서 왔어?'
'어디서 왔어?' is informal (반말) and appropriate for children or close friends.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercices어디____ ____어요?
'에서' is the correct particle for origin, and '왔' is the past tense stem of 'to come'.
Choose the correct honorific form:
The infix '-시-' in '오셨어요' makes the sentence honorific and respectful.
가: 어디에서 왔어요? 나: ________________.
The response should mirror the question's structure: [Place] + 에서 왔어요.
Phrase: '어디서 왔어?'
'어디서 왔어?' is informal (반말) and appropriate for children or close friends.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
5 questionsYes! You can say '미국에서 왔어요' (from USA) or '뉴욕에서 왔어요' (from New York).
Not at all. It is a standard, polite question. Just ensure your tone is friendly.
'에서' is for physical locations. '부터' is for time (e.g., from 1 o'clock). Always use '에서' for origin.
You can say '미국에서 태어났지만 영국에서 왔어요' (I was born in the US but came from the UK).
It's polite to add the name + 씨. For example: '마이클 씨는 어디에서 왔어요?'
Expressions liées
어느 나라 사람이에요?
similarWhich country person are you?
고향이 어디예요?
specialized formWhere is your hometown?
어디 출신이세요?
formalWhere are you from? (lit. Where is your origin?)
어디 가요?
contrastWhere are you going?
