The Difference between ГДЕ and КУДА

Difference between ГДЕ and КУДА

The difference between где and куда is very easy to understand.

Где is used to ask about location and куда is used to ask about direction.

In other words, when we use куда, we want to know the direction in which something or someone is moving. When we use где, however, we want to know where something is located or happens.

Let’s compare two sentences:

• Где ты живёшь?
• (Where do you live?)
• Куда ты идёшь?
• (Where are you going to?)

In the first example, we want to know the place or the location where someone lives, so we use где.

In the second example, we are not asking about the person’s location. We want to know in which direction the person is going, so we use куда.

Let’s take a look at other examples:

• Где мой телефон?
• (Where is my phone?)
• Куда он бросил мяч?
• (Where did he throw the ball?)

In the first example we want to know the location of the phone, so we use где.

In the second example, however, we want to know the direction in which the ball was thrown, so we use куда.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the answer to a question with где usually contains a preposition, such as в (in) or на (on), plus a place in the Prepositional Case. For example:

• Где учебник?
• (Where is the textbook?)
• Учебник в ящике.
• (The textbook is in the drawer)

The answer can also contain a preposition, such as под (under) or за (behind), plus a place in the Instrumental Case. For example:

• Где кошка?
• (Where is the cat?)
• Кошка лежит под машиной.
• (The cat is lying under the car)

The answer to a question with куда, on the other hand, usually contains a preposition, such as в, на, под or за, plus a place in the Accusative Case. For example:

• Куда он пошёл?
• (Where did he go?)
• Он пошёл на работу.
• (He went to work)
• Куда он положил телефон?
• (Where did he put the phone?)
• Он положил телефон в сумку.
• (He put the phone in the bag)

Common uses of ГДЕ

As you’ve just learnt, где is used to ask about location.

To be more specific, we usually use где in two situations:

• To ask where something is;
• To ask where an action takes place (where something happens).

Let’s take a look at examples for each of these situations.

Asking where something is

• Где книга?
• (Where is the book?)
• Где дети?
• (Where are the kids?)
• Где находится банк?
• (Where is the bank located?)
• Где находится столица России?
• (Where is the capital of Russia located?)
• Где я могу найти супермаркет?
• (Where can I find a supermarket?)

Asking where an action takes place

• Где ты работаешь?
• (Where do you work?)
• Где они учатся?
• (Where do they study?)
• Где они живут?
• (Where do they live?)
• Где играют дети?
• (Where are the kids playing?)
• Где он играет в футбол?
• (Where does he play football?)
• Где мы можем плавать?
• (Where can we swim?)

Common uses of КУДА

As you learnt earlier in the lesson, the word куда is used to ask about the direction in which something or someone moves.

More specifically, we usually use куда in two situations:

• To ask where someone goes;
• To ask where someone places something.

Let’s take a look at each of these situations in more detail.

Asking where someone is going

When we make questions using verbs that denote movement in a specific direction, such as go, walk, drive, fly, move and run, we usually use куда. For example:

• Куда ты идёшь?
• (Where are you going to?)
• Куда летит самолёт?
• (Where is the plane flying?)
• Куда они ходят по выходным?
• (Where do they go on weekends?)
• Куда нам ехать?
• (Where should we drive to?)
• Куда они переехали?
• (Where did they move?)

Asking where someone places something

When we ask where someone places or moves an object, we also use куда.

In such questions, we use transitive verbs such as put, throw, take, carry, move or place. For example:

• Куда ты несёшь документы?
• (Where are you taking the documents?)
• Куда он положил ключи?
• (Where did he put the keys?)
• Куда он бросил бутылку?
• (Where did he throw the bottle?)

This situation is usually more difficult for students, so let’s take a closer look at the meaning of each of these sentences.

In the first example, when the person takes the documents somewhere, they are moved from one place to another.

In the second example, when the person puts the keys somewhere, the keys are also moved from one place to another.

And in the third example, when someone throws the bottle, the bottle is also moved from one place to another.

As you can see, the idea of movement is present in all of the above examples.

Other verbs used with КУДА

There are a few verbs commonly used with куда that don’t fit into the situations mentioned above.

Let’s take a look at the most common of them.

To fall

When we want to ask where something fell, that is, in which direction something fell, we use the word куда.

• Куда упал ключ?
• (Where did the key fall?)
• Ключ упал за диван.
• (The key fell behind the sofa)
• Куда упал стакан?
• (Where did the glass fall?)
• Стакан упал на пол.
• (The glass fell on the floor)

Note that when we use куда in such questions, we want to know the direction in which the object fell. However, if we wanted to know the location where the action took place, we would use the word где. For example:

• Где упал мальчик?
• (Where did the boy fall?)
• Мальчик упал в парке.
• (The boy fell in the park)

To look

When we want to ask where someone is looking, we also use куда. For example:

• Куда ты смотришь?
• (Where are you looking?)

To get ready

When someone is getting ready to go somewhere, we often use the word куда to ask where the person is getting ready to go to. For example:

• Куда ты собираешься?
• (Where are you getting ready to go to?)

Note that we don’t need the verb идти (go) in this sentence since the word куда already implies that the person is going to move in some direction.