wovon

Wovon is a German fused interrogative pronoun and prepositional adverb formed by combining wo (where) with von (from/of). It is used to ask about the source, origin, content, or topic of something when the verb governs the preposition von. In questions, wovon literally means “from what” or “of what.”

Usage and grammar

Wovon typically appears at the beginning of a main or embedded clause. It answers questions about what a statement is concerning, especially with verbs that take von as a preposition, such as handeln (to be about), reden (to talk/speak), or sprechen (to speak). For example: Wovon redest du? (What are you talking about?), Wovon handelt der Film? (What is the film about?). It can also introduce indirect questions: Ich frage mich, wovon er spricht. (I wonder what he is talking about.)

Relative use is possible but less common in everyday speech. In many contexts, speakers prefer a periphrastic form with von + dem or other prepositional constructions, such as von dem [something], depending on formality and style.

Related forms and alternatives

Other fused question words with prepositions include worüber (about what), woraus (out of what / from what), and wozu (for what purpose). They share the same basic function of replacing longer phrases like von was or von dem, while maintaining a precise prepositional meaning.

See also

German grammar on fused prepositions, interrogative pronouns, and relative clauses.

References

Standard German grammar references and language usage guides.