Word · Frequency #14175
whence
从何处；从哪里；何以
from what place, source, or cause
- 1.
from what place, source, or cause
从何处、来源或原因
从何处、来源或原因；从何处；出于什么原因；从哪个
In use
We returned to the village whence we had come.
Whence did you get this information?
He could not explain whence his fear arose.
the place/source whence
whence 在此用作关系副词，相当于 from which。
He returned to the village whence he had come.
他回到了他当初来的那个村庄。
Whence + subject + verb?
用于正式或文学语境中提问来源或原因。
Whence did this tradition originate?
这个传统源自何处？
Common mistakes
Whence you came?Whence did you come?
Whence 是副词，在疑问句中需要助动词 'did' 构成倒装。直陈语序 'You came whence?' 需改为疑问语序。
He returned to the place whence he came from.He returned to the place whence he came.
Whence 本身已表示 'from where'，因此后面不能再加介词 'from'。去掉 'from' 句子才正确。
Connections
Collocations
- from whence
- 源自哪里；从那个地方
- They returned to the cottage from whence they had set out.他们回到了他们出发时的村舍。
- whence comes
- 从何而来；源于何处
- Whence comes this sudden interest in history?对历史突然产生的兴趣从何而来？
- whence it came
- 它的来源；它来自哪里
- The detective tried to trace the anonymous letter to the place whence it came.侦探试图追踪这封匿名信寄出的地方。
Idioms & figurative uses
- from whence
- 来自何处；从哪里He returned to the village from whence he had fled.他回到了自己逃离的那个村庄。
- whence we came
- 我们来的地方；我们的来历We must never forget whence we came.我们绝不能忘记自己从何而来。
Learner notes
Memory Tip
把 whence 联想成 when（何时）后多一个 c（see），像在问‘从哪儿看到的来源？’——whence 就是‘从何处、出于何因’。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：文学或正式书面语、历史或修辞语境 whence 属于较正式的书面用词，通常出现在文学作品或正式文体中，口语中比较少见；现代英语中常用 where...from 或 why 等来替代。
Grammar Note
现代英语中更常用 where...from 或 from where
Pronunciation & Spelling
所有这些词都以 /ɛns/ 押韵：whence、hence、thence、fence 拼作 -ence；tense、dense、sense 拼作 -ense，读音相同。注意 when /wɛn/ 与 whence 拼写相近，但读音不同、不押韵。
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.