Word
Wovon sprichst du eigentlich?
Meaning
What are you actually talking about?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Wovon sprichst du eigentlich?
du
you (informal singular)
sprechen
to speak
eigentlich
actually, really
wovon
of what, from what
Questions & Answers about Wovon sprichst du eigentlich?
The current lesson is about hier- words. How does wovon fit into this?
wovon is an interrogative pronominal adverb. Just like the hier- compounds you are learning (hiervon means "about this") and da- compounds (davon means "about that"), wovon asks "about what?". You use it here because the verb sprechen pairs with the preposition von (von etwas sprechen). To answer this question by saying "I am talking about this", you would use the lesson's target vocabulary: "Ich spreche hiervon."
Could I use worüber instead of wovon here?
Yes, absolutely! The verb sprechen can take either the preposition von or über. Sprechen über usually implies a more in-depth discussion about a topic, while sprechen von can just mean mentioning or speaking of something. In everyday casual contexts like this, "Wovon sprichst du?" and "Worüber sprichst du?" are basically interchangeable.
Can I use wovon if I am asking about a person?
No, wo- compounds (just like hier- and da- compounds) are strictly used for inanimate things, ideas, or concepts. If you want to ask who someone is talking about, you cannot use a compound word. You must separate them and use the preposition plus a personal question pronoun: "Von wem sprichst du?" (About whom are you speaking?).
What exactly does the word eigentlich add to this question?