Making sure we understand the correct verb tense for “what brings you here” and “what brought you here” will help us understand how to use them. This article will explore which one is correct and more likely for native speakers to use.
Should I Use “What Brings You Here” Or “What Brought You Here”?
You should use “what brings you here” to ask “why are you here” or “what caused you to come here?” It is the most common phrase used by native speakers. “What brought you here” only works when you ask someone how they specifically traveled to your destination.
The verb tense is important here. We use “brings” as the present tense verb to ask what made somebody come here at this moment in time. They usually respond with something that led them to make the decision to come.
The verb tense “brought” is the past tense, and we usually include an auxiliary verb (like “has”) in the phrase when using “brought” (i.e., “what has brought you here?”). However, in this case, it seems that the auxiliary verb isn’t as important when asking for the method of travel.
Is It Grammatically Correct To Use “What Brings You Here”?
“What brings you here” is grammatically correct and recognized by every native speaker to mean “why are you here?” Many people confuse the present tense “brings” with the idea of being “here,” which is why so many people get it wrong.
When we say “brings,” it’s the present tense, meaning that somebody is still in the action of being “brought.” However, using the word “here” implies that someone has already arrived in the past and is now at the destination they intended to be in.
This is why so many people struggle to understand the correct tense of the saying. The present tense verb seems to counteract the past tense “here,” but native speakers recognize it as a valid saying nonetheless.
What Does “What Brings You Here” Or “What Brought You Here” Mean?
It will help you to understand a little more about the meanings of each phrase. That way, you can make sure not to mistake them again when your time comes to use them.
“What brings you here” is a question asked to mean “why are you here” or “what made you come here?” “What brought you here” is a different question that asks how someone managed to get here (i.e., what method of transport they used).
You can probably tell from the definitions that “what brought you here” isn’t nearly as common as “what brings you here.” It’s not likely that someone will say, “what brought you here” when they want to ask how you arrived. Instead, they should use the question, “how did you get here?”
Is “What Brings You Here” Or “What Brought You Here” Used The Most?
It might help for you to see a visual demonstration of which phrase is more used. That way, you’ll have a better understanding of which one you should focus your time on learning.
According to this graph, “what brings you here” is used most and is vastly more popular. It’s also grown exponentially over the last few decades, making it widely more popular than “what brought you here.”
Examples Of How To Use “What Brings You Here” In A Sentence
Let’s go over some examples of each phrase. You might have an easier time understanding what we mean by them when you see them in sentences like this.
“What brings you here” is a question we ask somebody to find out what made them come to where they are. We might be trying to figure out their intentions or what drives them before taking the conversation any further.
- Before we begin, I have to ask, what brings you here today?
- What brings you here? It doesn’t seem like your kind of scene.
- What brings you here? This interview isn’t for the faint-hearted.
- What brings a guy like you here? I didn’t think I’d ever see you again!
- So, what brings you here? Are you looking for love like me?
- Can I ask, what brings you here? You seem lonely, and I don’t think this is the place for you.
- You have to ask yourself, what brings you here? That way, you’ll have a clearer picture of your own intentions.
“What brings you here” is always a question. We ask other people it when we want an idea of why they are where they are and if there are any specific reasons that made them want to be there at the time we ask them.
Examples Of How To Use “What Brought You Here” In A Sentence
“What brought you here” is much more specific, but we’ll go through some examples so you can understand it as well.
“What brought you here” is only used when we want to find out how somebody arrived. We’re only asking what their method of transportation was.
- I would like to know what brought you here? I don’t see any cars out front.
- What brought you here today? A car? A train?
- So is this car what brought you here today?
- Ah, I see. This is what brought you here today. It’s a bit rundown, I must say.
- What brought you here today? Anything that I’d like the look of?
- What brought you here today? You don’t look like someone who’s spent any time behind the wheel of a car.
- You’re so sweaty! I have to ask, what brought you here today?
The implication behind this question is that we want to know how someone arrived. We usually only want to know their method of transportation, which is why it’s so rare to come across.
Is It “What Bring You Here” Or “What Brings You Here”?
“What brings you here” is correct because we need the verb tense “brings” after the determiner “what.” “Bring” is the incorrect choice for the verb tense, making “what bring you here” incorrect in all situations.
- Correct: What brings you here today?
- Incorrect: What bring you here?
- Correct: I would like to know, what brings you here?
- Incorrect: Shall I ask, what bring you here?
Should I Use “What Brought You Here” Or “What Has Brought You Here”?
The verb tense we use with “brought” might sometimes include an auxiliary verb. When using the past tense in this way, an auxiliary verb will turn it into the present perfect. So, which is the correct form?
You should use “what brought you here” because we’re asking for the method of travel in the past tense. “What has brought you here” is incorrect because the present perfect tense would mean that somebody is still traveling.
If someone is still traveling, there’s no way we can ask them “what brought you here,” since the time construct is impossible to recreate. We can only ask “what brought you here” because they’ve already arrived and have completed their journey in the past.
You can look at this graph to see the differences between the two. “What brought you here” is by far the most popular choice. However, “what has brought you here” is also used; it’s just not the best way to write the verb form.
“What Brings You Here” And “What Brought You Here” – Synonyms
You might benefit from learning a few synonyms for the two phrases. That way, if you’re struggling with the differences between them, you can ask one of the following questions:
- How did you get here?
- Why did you come here?
- Why are you here?
- What made you come here?
- What made you come?
- What caused you to come?
- What are you doing here?
- What do you want?
- How did you arrive?
- What did you use to get here?
These synonyms are all great choices to replace “what brings you here” or “what brought you here.” They’ll help to keep your vocabulary fresh if you can use them correctly to replace the two original phrases.
What Should I Answer To “What Brings You Here” Or “What Brought You Here”?
If somebody asks you “what brings you here” or “what brought you here,” it might be wise to know how to answer them. We’ll cover two potential scenarios, one on dating apps and one at job interviews. That way, you’ll have a better idea of how to handle it.
What Should I Answer On Dating Apps?
When someone asks “what brings you here” on a dating app (or on a date), you should respond by telling them why you’re using the app and what you’re looking to get out of it (relationship, friendship, etc.) It’s best for you to be honest when replying to this question.
What Should I Answer At A Job Interview?
When someone asks “what brings you here” at a job interview, it’s best to tell them what made you want to try out for the job. You should try and link it back to the desirable qualities expected of you and show the employer or interviewer that you’re worth hiring.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
