"where did you come from?" vs. "where are you coming from?"
Hey guys,

My mom just asked me how to ask this in English and I actually wasn't sure! Lol. It really got me thinking, though. How embarrassing, considering the fact that I've been living in America for almost two decades... *facepalm*

If I see someone I know returning from somewhere, should I ask "where did you come from?" or "where are you coming from?" ? I understand that the first one ("where did you come from?") may also be used to indicate a surprise at a person's sudden arrival or appearance but that's not the tone I'm trying to convey. I expect the answer to be more like, from work, from the Post Office, from the doctor's appointment, from a friend's house, etc.

Thank you.

Question

"where did you come from?" vs. "where are you coming from?"
Hey guys,

My mom just asked me how to ask this in English and I actually wasn't sure! Lol. It really got me thinking, though. How embarrassing, considering the fact that I've been living in America for almost two decades... *facepalm*

If I see someone I know returning from somewhere, should I ask "where did you come from?" or "where are you coming from?" ? I understand that the first one ("where did you come from?") may also be used to indicate a surprise at a person's sudden arrival or appearance but that's not the tone I'm trying to convey. I expect the answer to be more like, from work, from the Post Office, from the doctor's appointment, from a friend's house, etc.

Thank you.

Answer

I would go with 'where are you coming from?', or else 'where did you JUST come from?'. You might also say 'where HAVE you come from?' You're right, 'Where did you come from?' indicates surprise, and while you could probably convey differently with your tone of voice, it still doesn't sound quite right to me.

Answer

They can both be used to ask where someone was before arriving at the current location.

You're right though. "Where did you come from" can be used to express the feeling of being surprised by someones sudden appearance. It's all about how you say that phrase and the situation it's being said in.

Generally, they mean the same thing and can both be used.

Answer

"Where have you been to"?! I also spent over 2 decades in an English-speaking country, and I am not sure either.

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