German Phrase
Wo hast du das her?
Meaning
Literally ‘Where have you that from?’, this phrase asks the listener where they obtained a particular object. It conveys curiosity and can also hint at surprise or admiration for the item.
When to use
Use it in informal, spoken German when you notice something the other person has – a new phone, a piece of clothing, a souvenir, etc. It is too colloquial for formal emails or presentations; in those contexts you would prefer ‘Woher hast du das?’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wohastdudasher
Wo (question word)
‘Wo’ asks for a location or origin and is placed at the beginning of a yes‑no or wh‑question.
haben + her (colloquial verb construction)
‘her’ is a directional particle that, together with ‘haben’, forms a colloquial way to ask where something was obtained.
du (2nd‑person singular pronoun)
The informal ‘du’ is used with the verb ‘hast’ (2nd‑person singular of ‘haben’).
das (demonstrative pronoun)
‘das’ refers to a neuter noun that has just been mentioned or is visible to both speakers.
🗨In Conversation
Wo hast du das her?
Where did you get that?
Ich habe es im Flohmarkt gekauft.
I bought it at the flea market.
✕Common Mistakes
Wo hast du das von?
‘von’ is not used with ‘haben’ in this construction; the particle ‘her’ already indicates origin.
Wo hast du das hier?
‘hier’ means ‘here’ and changes the meaning to ‘Where do you have this here?’
Hast du das wo her?
The correct word order is ‘Wo hast du das her?’, not ‘Wo hast du das her?’ without the question word at the front.
↔Alternatives
Woher hast du das?
Where did you get that from?
Wo hast du das herbekommen?
Where did you get that?
Wo hast du das hergeholt?
Where did you pick that up?
Cultural Tip
‘Wo hast du das her?’ is a very common spoken phrase in northern Germany. In the south, speakers tend to use the more standard ‘Woher hast du das?’ Both are understood everywhere, but the ‘her‑’ construction sounds a bit more casual and friendly. Avoid it in formal settings or written correspondence.