German word

wovon

Pronunciation

IPA/voˈfɔn/

Meaning

  • pronounabout what

Example

Weißt du, wovon das Buch handelt?

Do you know what the book is about?

Illustration for wovon (about what)

More examples

Kannst du kurz sagen, wovon du erzählst?

Can you briefly say what you are talking about?

Core concept

A question traces an unseen subject back through a von relationship, such as a topic, cause, or source.

Common phrases

  • wovon du erzählst

    what you are talking about

  • wovon wir profitieren

    what we benefit from

  • wovon sie überzeugt ist

    what she is convinced of

Similar words

worüber: Asks about the topic of a conversation or discussion.
worum: Asks about the central point of an event or issue.
wofür: Asks about the purpose or intended use of something.
womit: Asks about the tool or method used for something.

Definition in German

Erfragt, zu welchem Gegenstand oder Thema eine Aussage gehört.

Word origin

Wovon is the wo- form of von in an interrogative pronominal adverb, while personal referents use the separate phrase von wem.

Usage tips

  • The meaning of wovon depends on the governing expression: 'abhängen von' gives 'Wovon hängt es ab?', while 'handeln von' gives 'Wovon handelt es?'.

Other meanings

  • of whatpronoun
  • from whatpronoun

Word lists with this word