Learn French: D'où est-ce que vous venez exactement ?

D'où is a combination of de (from) and où (where). Because où starts with a vowel, the e in de is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe. Literally, you are asking "From where".

Why is the word for "from" (d') at the beginning of the question?

In English, it is common to put "from" at the end of a sentence ("Where do you come from?"). In French, you can never end a sentence with a preposition like de. It must always be attached to the front of the question word, making d'où.

Why do we use est-ce que here?

Est-ce que acts as a question marker. When you put it after a question word like d'où, it lets you keep the normal subject-verb order for the rest of the sentence (vous venez). It is the standard, everyday way to ask questions in French.

Which verb is venez and why does it end in -ez?

Venez is the verb venir, which means "to come". In French, verbs change depending on who is doing the action. Because the subject is vous (you), the verb takes the -ez ending, which is the standard ending for most verbs used with vous.