De donde VS desde donde

[lingos]

hello

what is the difference between de dónde and desde dónde?

thanks

[ookami]

For me they are synonyms.

[Rusty]

I can think of a few cases when these are not used interchangeably, so that makes me believe they are not synonymous.

¿De dónde eres?
¿Desde dónde eres?
The latter doesn't sound very good to me.

¿De dónde viene?
¿Desde dónde viene?
Again, the latter doesn't sound as good.

¿De dónde me llamas?
¿Desde dónde me llamas?
Here, the latter sounds better.

Aren't these the only way to say them?
¿De dónde a dónde?
¿Desde dónde hasta dónde?

It seems desde conveys the idea of movement, but not always.

[ookami]

Yes, the first one can be an exception because it doesn't reffer to movement or a place, it refers to "to be". The second too if you are not refering to a place (for example, a blood linage, again, "to be"), if not, it isn't the most common but it doesn't sound strange at all.
¿Desde donde venís?

In the last it can be "Desde dónde a dónde" too.
(in the third both are common to my ears)

So maybe we can say that when it reffers to a place or movement, they are synonyms, and if they reffer to "to be", they are not. (I can't find an exception to this yet)

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Rusty

I can think of a few cases when these are not used interchangeably, so that makes me believe they are not synonymous.

¿De dónde eres?
¿Desde dónde eres?
The latter doesn't sound very good to me.

¿De dónde viene?
¿Desde dónde viene?
Again, the latter doesn't sound as good.

¿De dónde me llamas?
¿Desde dónde me llamas?
Here, the latter sounds better.

Aren't these the only way to say them?
¿De dónde a dónde?
¿Desde dónde hasta dónde?

It seems desde conveys the idea of movement, but not always.

Although you are right in the way of thinking, still I think is not so much of movement but of distance that maybe in time or actual distance.

[laepelba]

I was just writing to a Uruguayan friend who doesn't speak English. I was telling her about the pastor's sermon this morning in church. First I wrote "Él habló de Mateo 6." But that didn't sound quite right. I wanted to say that he used Matthew 6 as his sermon text. But to use "de" there, sounded like he was speaking about Matthew 6. I wanted to say that he was speaking FROM Matthew 6. So I changed it to "desde". I wrote "Él habló desde Mateo 6." Is there a distinction in those meanings?

[ookami]

He talked about Mateo 6 (de)
He talked since Mateo 6. (desde) (He started talking since Mateo 6)

[laepelba]

Oh. I suppose I was wrong, then................. (*suspiro*)

[brute]

Originally Posted by chileno

Although you are right in the way of thinking, still I think is not so much of movement but of distance that maybe in time or actual distance.

Is desde more common in time expressions? eg desde sabado hasta lunes

[ookami]

Hmm, I think I hear more "de/del/etc" than "desde" in that kind of time expressions, but is a fair battle:

Trabajo toda la semana, desde lunes hasta/a domingo.
Trabajo toda la semana, de lunes a domingo. (more common)

Desde el siglo XII hasta el XV, ...
Del siglo XII al XV / Entre el siglo XII y el XV, ...
Here both are equally common for me, but maybe the first one is more used.

Desde is very common -and it can't be replace I believe, unless you change the sentence and use "a partir"- in this kind of usage:

"Desde hace tres días que no para de llover"
"No hay un solo día de sol desde la última profecía."
"Desde el martes me duele el estomago."