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How to Respond to "¿De dónde eres?" Download ArticleExplore this Article IN THIS ARTICLE 1 “Soy de…” (“Soy day”) 2 “Nací en…” (“Nah-see ehn”) 3 “Soy estadounidense.” (“Soy es-tah-doh-oo-ni-den-say”) 4 “Soy de... pero vivo en...” ("Soy day...pey-ro vee-vo ehn") 5 “Nací en... pero soy...” ("Nah-see ehn...pey-ro soy...") 6 “Nací en...pero también soy...” ("Nah-see ehn...pey-ro tam-bee-ehn soy...") + Show 3 more... - Show less... Other Sections Related Articles References Co-authored by Language Academia and Nihal Shetty
Last Updated: June 1, 2025
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This article was co-authored by Language Academia and by wikiHow staff writer, Nihal Shetty. Language Academia is a private, online language school founded by Kordilia Foxstone. Kordilia and her team specialize in teaching foreign languages and accent reduction. Language Academia offers courses in several languages, including English, Spanish, and Mandarin. This article has been viewed 32,783 times.
A typical get-to-know-you question in Spanish is “¿De dónde eres?” or “Where are you from?” If you’re spending time around Spanish-speakers, you’ve probably been asked this question more than once. If you’re not sure what the right response is, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ll show you some standard ways to respond to “¿De dónde eres?” then show you how to combine these expressions to sound even more like a Spanish pro.
Steps
1
“Soy de…” (“Soy day”)
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“I am from…” is the most typical response to this question. You can say you’re from a city, state, or country, just like in English: “Soy de Palo Alto,” “Soy de California,” and “Soy de los Estados Unidos” are all completely correct.[1]XResearch source
In Spanish, personal pronouns like “I,” “you,” or “she” are often dropped from speech, since verbs already tell you this information by changing form depending on their subject. You might hear someone say “Yo soy de California.” Using “yo” (I) in this sentence is correct, but not strictly necessary.
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“Nací en…” (“Nah-see ehn”)
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“I was born in…” is another possible response you can use. Like with “Soy de…,” you can name a city, state, or country: “Nací en Palo Alto,” “Nací en California,” “Nací en los Estados Unidos.”[2]XResearch source
“I am American” (or, any other nationality) is another proper response. Demonyms (adjectives describing nationalities) are sometimes different than you might expect in Spanish, so it might be a good idea to check an online Spanish dictionary if you’re not sure what yours is.[3]XResearch source
Although “Soy Americano/Americana” is commonly used in Spanish to mean that you’re from the United States, try using “estadounidense” if you’re in Latin America. Latin Americans consider themselves to be American as well.[4]XResearch source
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“Soy de... pero vivo en...” ("Soy day...pey-ro vee-vo ehn")
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“Pero vivo en” means “but I live in,” and is handy if you don’t live where you’re from. For example, you might say “Soy de Palo Alto pero vivo en México” (“I am from Palo Alto but I live in Mexico”). Details like these can help you explain your background in more detail.
5
“Nací en... pero soy...” ("Nah-see ehn...pey-ro soy...")
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"Pero soy" ("but I am") is useful if your nationality is different from your place of birth. For example, you could say "Nací en México pero soy estadounidense" ("I was born in Mexico but I am American"). By combining some of the phrases that we’ve learned so far, we can get even more specific about our backgrounds. This will help make your Spanish sound even more fluent.
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“Nací en...pero también soy...” ("Nah-see ehn...pey-ro tam-bee-ehn soy...")
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“También” means "also," and is useful if you have two nationalities. It's also a common and good word to know when you’re interacting in a Spanish-speaking context generally. You might say something like, “Nací en Canadá pero también soy Mexicano/Mexicana” (“I was born in Canada but I am also Mexican.”)
Spanish adjectives that end in “o” or “a” are gendered, which means they change depending on the gender of the subject. If you’re a man, say “Mexicano,” and if you’re a woman, say “Mexicana.”
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Co-authored by: Language Academia Language Tutors This article was co-authored by Language Academia and by wikiHow staff writer, Nihal Shetty. Language Academia is a private, online language school founded by Kordilia Foxstone. Kordilia and her team specialize in teaching foreign languages and accent reduction. Language Academia offers courses in several languages, including English, Spanish, and Mandarin. This article has been viewed 32,783 times. 9 votes - 78% Co-authors: 7Updated: June 1, 2025 Views: 32,783 Categories: Spanish
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Download Article Explore this Article IN THIS ARTICLE 1 “Soy de…” (“Soy day”) 2 “Nací en…” (“Nah-see ehn”) 3 “Soy estadounidense.” (“Soy es-tah-doh-oo-ni-den-say”) 4 “Soy de... pero vivo en...” ("Soy day...pey-ro vee-vo ehn") 5 “Nací en... pero soy...” ("Nah-see ehn...pey-ro soy...") 6 “Nací en...pero también soy...” ("Nah-see ehn...pey-ro tam-bee-ehn soy...") + Show 3 more... - Show less... Other Sections Related Articles References Co-authored by Language Academia and Nihal Shetty 
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Co-authored by: Language Academia Language Tutors This article was co-authored by Language Academia and by wikiHow staff writer, Nihal Shetty. Language Academia is a private, online language school founded by Kordilia Foxstone. Kordilia and her team specialize in teaching foreign languages and accent reduction. Language Academia offers courses in several languages, including English, Spanish, and Mandarin. This article has been viewed 32,783 times. 9 votes - 78% Co-authors: 7 Updated: June 1, 2025 Views: 32,783 Categories: Spanish 
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“I am from…” is the most typical response to this question. You can say you’re from a city, state, or country, just like in English: “Soy de Palo Alto,” “Soy de California,” and “Soy de los Estados Unidos” are all completely correct.[1] 
“I was born in…” is another possible response you can use. Like with “Soy de…,” you can name a city, state, or country: “Nací en Palo Alto,” “Nací en California,” “Nací en los Estados Unidos.”[2] 
“I am American” (or, any other nationality) is another proper response. Demonyms (adjectives describing nationalities) are sometimes different than you might expect in Spanish, so it might be a good idea to check an online Spanish dictionary if you’re not sure what yours is.[3] 
“Pero vivo en” means “but I live in,” and is handy if you don’t live where you’re from. For example, you might say “Soy de Palo Alto pero vivo en México” (“I am from Palo Alto but I live in Mexico”). Details like these can help you explain your background in more detail. 
"Pero soy" ("but I am") is useful if your nationality is different from your place of birth. For example, you could say "Nací en México pero soy estadounidense" ("I was born in Mexico but I am American"). By combining some of the phrases that we’ve learned so far, we can get even more specific about our backgrounds. This will help make your Spanish sound even more fluent. Advertisement 
“También” means "also," and is useful if you have two nationalities. It's also a common and good word to know when you’re interacting in a Spanish-speaking context generally. You might say something like, “Nací en Canadá pero también soy Mexicano/Mexicana” (“I was born in Canada but I am also Mexican.”)