Master the Difference Between Donde and Adonde
Donde and adonde look similar, don’t they? But don’t get confused, they are two words with different meanings. However, it’s an easy topic in Spanish grammar and I guarantee that you will know the difference between them before you’re finished with this blog post!
Read on to learn the similarities and differences between these two words, as well as in which situations to use them.
At the end, check your understanding with a donde and adonde multiple-choice quiz and feel proud of your hard work!
Similarities and Differences Between Donde and Adonde?
Let’s start with similarities between Spanish donde and adonde. They are both adverbs, and we use them to talk about places in Spanish. You can write them with a diacritic mark over the letter o to form an interrogative adverb for questions or exclamations.
Without an accent, they act as relative adverbs, providing information about a place. They can also join clauses and sentences together.
But what’s the difference between them?
The initial letter (a) in adonde makes all the difference, giving you two distinct words. Before we go into details, here’s an easy way to remember the difference:
- Donde – Location
- Adonde – Destination
Donde – Location
Of the two adverbs, donde is most likely the one you learned first. It means “where,” or “in what place.”
Interrogative Adverb (with the accent)
As an interrogative adverb, you use it to ask for information such as an address or location.
¿Dónde vives?
Where do you live?
¿Dónde estás?
Where are you?
If you add a preposition de, you can ask about origin:
¿De dónde eres?
Where are you from?
¿De dónde lo sacaste?
Where did you get it from?
Dónde with the diacritic mark makes questions but also exclamation, as in:
¡Dónde estaría ahora si hubiera estudiado español desde pequeña!
Where would I be now if I studied Spanish since I was little!
Do you want to practice more by making questions with dónde?
Check out: ‘Where are you from?’ in Spanish and Other Essential Questions
In addition to questions, dónde also has an accent mark when it refers to an unknown destination at the end of a subordinate clause:
Con gusto paso a recoger tu paquete, sólo dime dónde.
I’ll gladly pick up your package, just tell me where.
Special Cases for Using Dónde
Dónde is used in specific cases that don’t appear interrogative, but act in line with “the nature of a question.” While reading in Spanish, you’ll likely run across the following:
- según dónde (according to where)
- depender de dónde (depending on where)
- independientemente de dónde (regardless of where)
See these examples in action with the following sentences:
Los pinzones de Darwin tienen distintos picos según dónde se encuentran.
Darwin’s finches have different beaks according to where they’re found.
Iremos por helado dependiendo de dónde estemos después de comer.
We’ll go for ice cream depending on where we are after eating.
Independientemente de dónde lo hizo, su crimen es penado por la ley.
Regardless of where he did it, his crime is punished by law.
Relative Adverb (without the accent)
Without the accent mark, donde is a relative adverb. Instead of posing a question, it helps you to give more information about a place or to join two clauses together.
Esta es la calle donde nací.
This is the street where I was born.
La puerta por donde entraste tiene cien años.
The door you entered through is a hundred years old.
Ellos están en un lugar donde te puedes relajar.
They are in a place where you can relax.
No tiene donde vivir.
He has nowhere to live.
Donde Variations
As you’ve likely seen while learning Spanish, donde can be preceded by prepositions (a, de, desde, por) which slightly modify its meaning. Keep these facts in mind:
- a donde and adonde are used interchangeably
- de donde means “from where” and “where”
- desde donde means “from where,” “where,” “and from there,” and “from which.”
- en donde means “where” and “in which,” and refers to a static destination or experience
- por donde means “through,” “which way,” and “whichever.”
Here are some examples:
Estoy orgulloso del lugar de donde vengo.
I’m proud of the place (where) I come from.
Asegúrate de dejar el fólder en donde el contador pueda encontrarlo.
Make sure to leave the folder where the accountant can find it.
Disfruto los momentos en donde soy el centro de atención.
I enjoy moments where I’m the center of attention.
Puedes dejar tu mochila donde sea.
You can leave your backpack wherever.
Alternating Between donde and dónde
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter whether you put an accent or not. This happens when you have a subordinate clause followed by an infinitive verb that’s preceded by the verbs haber or tener.
Here’s a simpler way to understand this:
Start of sentence + Haber (conjugated) + dónde/donde + infinitive verb
Start of sentence + Tener (conjugated) + dónde/donde + infinitive verb
In such cases, the sentence is up for interpretation as either relative or interrogative, which allows flexibility between donde and dónde. Remember to pay attention to that infinitive verb!
All of the following examples are correct ways of using dónde and donde.
Me puse triste al saber que el gatito no tenía dónde ir.
I was sad when I knew the kitten had nowhere to go.
No había dónde pedir comida a domicilio.
There was nowhere to ask for food delivery.
Adonde – Destination
As I mentioned, adonde helps you to ask about or refer to a destination.
PRO TIP! You can write it separately a donde or as a single word adonde—it makes no difference. That’s why we love Spanish!
Interrogative Adverb (with the accent)
So, when can you use adonde? The same as with donde, you can make questions and exclamations. MInd the accent mark!
¿Adónde vas?
Where are you going?
¿A dónde se fue tu madre?
Where did your mother go?
¿Adónde me llevas?
Where are you taking me?
¡Adónde vas con tantas cosas!
Where are you going with so many things?
Relative Adverb (without the accent)
Again, without the accent mark, adonde becomes a relative adverb and helps you to give more details about a destination or to join two clauses.
El lugar adonde vamos es hermoso.
The place where we go is beautiful.
Iremos a donde crecen las mejores fresas silvestres.
We will go where the best wild strawberries grow.
Practice the usage of adonde with the song ¿A dónde van? (Where are they going?) along with Silvio Rodriguez, a famous Cuban musician.
Donde and Adonde: Tips From a Native Spanish Speaker
So far you’ve learned that donde is for location and adonde for destination, but the rules are not as hard and fast as I made it seem.
The fact is, if you’re not sure whether to use donde or adonde, choose donde and you’ll always be right!
Why?
Because donde can substitute adonde and mean “where to,” but not the other way round. Adonde never means “in what place.”
So, if you want to ask, “Where are you going?” you can say both:
- ¿Adónde vas?
- ¿Dónde vas?
(Just remember the accent mark!)
However, you cannot say ¿Adónde estás? (incorrect).
Donde always denotes location, but it can also denote destination. Meanwhile, adonde is strictly used in reference to a destination.
Let’s modify the distinction between them a bit:
- Donde – Location, Destination
- Adonde – Destination
That makes life easier, doesn’t it? Suddenly all that donde and adonde has become much easier!
Test Your Knowledge on Donde and Adonde
Ready for some exercises? Check your understanding in this multiple-choice Spanish quiz. Remember, there is only one correct answer for each donde and adonde question.
1. ¿ _______ viven tus suegros?
2. Me gustan los lugares _______ puedes estar seguro.
3. ¿ _______ vas tan rápido?
4. La tienda _______ te llevo está cerca.
5. _______ voy seré más feliz.
6. ¿Por _______ apareció?
7. ¡Pero _______ vives! Esto es un palacio!
8. El banco está donde la fuente.
9. Tu reloj está _______ lo dejaste.
10. ¿ _______ estás? Tenemos que irnos.
Practice Time
Good job! Now that you know how to use donde and adonde, you can be the one that starts a conversation when meeting new people.
¡Hola! ¿De dónde eres?
Hi! Where are you from?
You don’t have to travel to a Spanish-speaking country. You can finally make friends with your Hispanic neighbors and ask them about their origin and tell them more about the place you were born in.
To prepare for your conversations in Spanish, sign up for a free class with one of our native, Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. They will help you practice the difference between donde and adonde. Start speaking Spanish with a native speaker today!
Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check these out!
- 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
- Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
- 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
- Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
- All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish
- The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish
- A Guide to Double Negatives in Spanish
- Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF
- 9 Free Homeschool Curriculum Options with Daily Lesson Plans - May 23, 2025
- All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish - January 8, 2025
- The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish - December 26, 2024
