Από πού είσαι;

to be

Breakdown of Από πού είσαι;

• πού: where
• από: from

Questions & Answers about Από πού είσαι;

What does each word in Από πού είσαι; mean, and how do I say it?

• Από = from (preposition), pronounced ah-PO [aˈpo].
• πού = where (question word), pronounced POO [pu]; the accent mark shows it’s interrogative.
• είσαι = you are (2nd person singular of είμαι “to be”), pronounced EE-seh [ˈise].
• Whole sentence: ah-PO POO EE-seh [aˈpo pu ˈise].

Why does it end with a semicolon (;)?

In Greek, the semicolon character (;) is the question mark. The small raised dot · (ano teleia) is the Greek semicolon.

Why is πού accented, and when would it be που without an accent?

• πού (with accent) = interrogative “where?” used in direct questions: Από πού είσαι;
• που (no accent) = relative/complementizer “that/which/where”: Το σπίτι που μένω = “the house where I live.” Greek normally doesn’t accent monosyllables, but πού and πώς get an accent when they’re question words.

Can I drop από and just say Πού είσαι;?

No. Πού είσαι; means “Where are you (now)?” To ask origin, you need από: Από πού είσαι;

What’s the difference between Από πού είσαι; and Πού μένεις;?

• Από πού είσαι; asks about origin/hometown (“Where are you from?”).
• Πού μένεις; asks about current residence (“Where do you live?”).

Is there a more formal or polite way to ask this?

Yes:

• Polite/plural: Από πού είστε;
• More formal/literary for “Where are you from (originally)?”: Από πού κατάγεστε; (sg. polite/plural). Informal singular: Από πού κατάγεσαι;

How do I answer it naturally?

Use Είμαι από + [article + place]:

• Countries: Είμαι από την Ελλάδα. / τον Καναδά. / τη Γαλλία. / το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο. / τις ΗΠΑ.
• Cities/places: Είμαι από την Αθήνα. / από το Λονδίνο. / από τη Θεσσαλονίκη. Greek typically uses the definite article with country and many place names after prepositions like από.

Why do the articles change after από?

Από takes the accusative case, so the definite article must match the noun:

• Feminine sg.: την Ελλάδα, τη Γαλλία
• Masculine sg.: τον Καναδά
• Neuter sg.: το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, το Λονδίνο
• Feminine pl.: τις ΗΠΑ

Can I say Πού είσαι από; like English “Where are you from?” with the preposition at the end?

No. Greek doesn’t strand prepositions. Keep the preposition before the question word: Από πού.

Can I add the pronoun εσύ?

Yes, for emphasis or contrast: Εσύ από πού είσαι; Normally the subject pronoun is omitted.

What are the present-tense forms of είμαι?

• εγώ είμαι = I am
• εσύ είσαι = you are (sg., informal)
• αυτός/αυτή/αυτό είναι = he/she/it is
• εμείς είμαστε = we are
• εσείς είστε (also είσαστε) = you are (pl./formal)
• αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά είναι = they are

How is είσαι spelled vs. pronounced? Why isn’t -σαι pronounced “sai”?

In Modern Greek:

• ει is pronounced like “ee” [i].
• The ending -σαι is pronounced [se] (“seh”), not “s-eye.” So είσαι is [ˈise] (“EE-seh”).

Do I ever shorten από to απ’ here?

No. Elision to απ’ happens before a vowel, e.g., απ’ έξω, απ’ όπου. Πού starts with the consonant π, so you keep από: Από πού...

Is it wrong to write Από που είσαι; without the accent on πού?

In standard writing, yes. The interrogative needs the accent: Από πού είσαι; (People sometimes omit it casually, but that’s a spelling error.)

What’s the difference between Από πού είσαι; and Από πού έρχεσαι;?

• Από πού είσαι; = “Where are you from?” (origin/home).
• Από πού έρχεσαι; = “Where are you coming from (right now)?” (immediate source).

How does intonation work for this question?

Wh-questions in Greek usually have falling or level-falling intonation (not a strong final rise). Put stress where the accents are: a-PO POU EE-se.

Can I answer with my nationality instead of a place?

Yes. For example: Είμαι Έλληνας/Ελληνίδα (Greek), Αμερικανός/Αμερικανίδα (American), Καναδός/Καναδή (Canadian). That answers “What nationality are you?” and is also natural in conversation.