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Topic: How do you ask where someone lives ?

Posted by: tezza1551

Subject: How do you ask where someone lives ?
Date: Apr 09 11

Sounds like a strange question, but at a meeting today, I was asked where I live by a New Zealander. She phrased it "Where do you stay?"
Started me thinking, and I realised that if I was speaking to someone from another country or a non Indigenous Australian, I would ask "where are you from ?", and to an Indigenous Australian either "who's your mob ?" or what's your country ?"
How do you ask this question where you live ?



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6 replies. On page 1 of 1 pages. 1
AntonLaVey

Don't ask me where I live unless you know me. Ask me where I'm from.

Reply #1. Apr 09 11, 10:06 PM

MotherGoose

I've never really thought about it, but there are subtle nuances in the words chosen which I am sure are also culturally biased. It also depends where you are when you are asked.

If someone asked me where I was FROM, I'd probably answer 'Australia' if I was overseas, or 'Western Australia' if I was interstate, or my suburb if I was in my home state.

If someone asked me where I LIVED, I'd be more specific and answer with either my suburb or my street (or even "south of the river"), depending on how much information I wanted to give out.

To ask someone where they are STAYING, to me, sounds temporary. It's a question I might ask a visitor or tourist.

I often ask people where they are from if they have an accent and I only expect them to say the country.

My husband is American and when people hear his accent, they usually ask "Where are you from?" and he'll deliberately answer with Australia, Western Australia or our suburb. Of course they want to know where he was from originally. When pressed, he'll admit to coming from California. Sometimes people ask "How long is it since you've been home?" (meaning California) and he'll answer "I go home every night".

Reply #2. Apr 10 11, 1:36 AM

purelyqing If it were a foreigner, I'd ask where are you from.

If local and from around my city, I'd ask where do you live/stay.

Reply #3. Apr 10 11, 1:44 AM

Cymruambyth Because Canada has a huge immigrant population, I generally ask where the person lived before coming to Canada (the response can take up to 15 minutes or more if the person I'm talking to is a refugee. Refugees have usually lived in several countries before making it to the promised land!). If I'm talking to an out-of-towner, I'll ask where they're from. If the person lives in the same city as me, I'll ask them in which part of the city they live. I agree with Anton, unless I know the person I don't ask where a person lives, because that usually means I'm asking for a street address (at least, that's what it means where I live!)

Reply #4. May 16 11, 11:39 PM

C30 I would take "Where are you from"? To mean place of birth.
Where you live is usually (but obviously not always) somewhere completely different.

Reply #5. May 17 11, 12:32 AM

MyGirl2000

Where do you live now? This seems right somehow for USA.

Reply #6. Sep 06 11, 9:35 AM

6 replies. On page 1 of 1 page(s). 1

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