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Questions & Answers about Откуда вы?
Why is there no verb for "are" in this sentence?
In Russian, the verb "to be" is almost always skipped in the present tense. Instead of saying "Where are you from?", you literally just say "From where you?".
How is откуда different from где?
Откуда specifically means "from where". If you want to ask where something is currently located, you use где (where). There is also a third word, куда, which means "where to" when talking about going somewhere.
Am I asking one person or multiple people when I use вы?
It could be either! Вы is the plural "you" (when talking to a group), but it is also the polite, formal "you" for a single person (like a stranger, a teacher, or someone older). To ask a friend where they are from, you would use the informal singular: Откуда ты?.
Can I change the word order and say Вы откуда?
Yes, absolutely. Russian word order is very flexible. Вы откуда? is completely correct and sounds very natural in casual conversation. Putting откуда first just makes it a standard, direct question.