Where You're From: Countries & Nationalities
Japanese Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 4 ยท Where You're From: Countries & Nationalities
๐ Where You're From โ ใฉใใใ ใใพใใใ
Meeting someone new, the next question is always where are you from? This chapter teaches you to answer, to talk about nationality and language, and to read the country names you learned in katakana. Romaji is shown under every line of Japanese.
โ Where Are You From? โ ใฉใกใใใ๏ผ
A:
ใใฃใชใใใใใฏ ใฉใกใใใ ใใพใใใใ
Firippu-san wa dochira kara kimashita ka.
Philip, where do you come from?
B:
ในใณใใใฉใณใใฎ ใจใธใณใใฉใใ ใใพใใใ
Sukottorando no Ejinbara kara kimashita.
I come from Edinburgh, in Scotland.
A:
ใใใงใใใใจใธใณใใฉใฏ ใใ ใจใใใงใใญใ
Sล desu ka. Ejinbara wa ii tokoro desu ne.
I see. Edinburgh is a nice place.
โก Nationality โ ใใซใจ ใใใใ
A:
ใใฃใชใใใใใฏ ใคใฎใชในใใใงใใใ
Firippu-san wa Igirisu-jin desu ka.
Philip, are you British?
B:
ใฏใใในใณใใใฉใณใใใใงใใ
Hai, Sukottorando-jin desu.
Yes, I'm Scottish.
A:
ใใณใฌใชใผใใ ใใใใพใใใ
Hangarฤซ-go ga wakarimasu ka.
Do you understand Hungarian?
B:
ใฏใใใใใ ใใใใพใใ
Hai, sukoshi wakarimasu.
Yes, a little.
โข A Japanese Colleague โ ใซใปใใใ
A:
ใใชใใใใฏ ใซใปใใใใงใใใ
Tanaka-san wa Nihon-jin desu ka.
Tanaka-san, are you Japanese?
B:
ใฏใใใซใปใใใใงใใใจใใใใใใ ใใพใใใ
Hai, Nihon-jin desu. Tลkyล kara kimashita.
Yes. I come from Tokyo.
A:
ใจใใใใใงใใใใใใงใใญใ
Tลkyล desu ka. Ii desu ne.
Tokyo? That's nice.
โฃ Which Country? โ ใใใซใฏ ใฉใกใ๏ผ
A:
ใใใซใฏ ใฉใกใใงใใใ
Okuni wa dochira desu ka.
Which country are you from?
B:
ใใณใฌใชใผใงใใใใใในใใใ ใใพใใใ
Hangarฤซ desu. Budapesuto kara kimashita.
Hungary. I come from Budapest.
A:
ใใณใฌใชใผ๏ผ ใใ ใใซใงใใญใ
Hangarฤซ! Ii kuni desu ne.
Hungary! A nice country.
โค Languages โ ใใจใฐ
A:
ใใใใ ใใใใพใใใ
Eigo ga wakarimasu ka.
Do you understand English?
B:
ใฏใใใใใใพใใ
Hai, wakarimasu.
Yes, I do.
A:
ใซใปใใใฏ๏ผ
Nihongo wa?
And Japanese?
B:
ใกใใฃใจ ใใใใพใใ
Chotto wakarimasu.
I understand a little.
โฅ Where Do You Live? โ ใฉใใซ ใใใงใใพใใ
A:
ใฉใใซ ใใใงใใพใใใ
Doko ni sunde imasu ka.
Where do you live?
B:
ใจใธใณใใฉใซ ใใใงใใพใใ
Ejinbara ni sunde imasu.
I live in Edinburgh.
A:
ใใใงใใใ
Sล desu ka.
I see.
๐๏ธ Key Phrases โ ใใใใคใช ใฒใใใใ
| Situation | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I come from โฆ | ใใใ ใใพใใ โฆ kara kimashita | ใใ = from; ใใพใใ = came |
| Where do you come from? | ใฉใกใใใ ใใพใใใ dochira kara kimashita ka | ใฉใกใ is the polite "where" |
| Which country are you from? | ใใใซใฏ ใฉใกใใงใใ okuni wa dochira desu ka | the ใ makes ใใซ polite |
| I am (nationality) | ใใใใงใ โฆ jin desu | ใใ = person of that country |
| I understand (language) | ใใใ ใใใใพใ โฆ go ga wakarimasu | ใ = language |
| I live in โฆ | ใใซ ใใใงใใพใ โฆ ni sunde imasu | a set phrase for now |
| A little | ใใใ / ใกใใฃใจ sukoshi / chotto | also a polite way to play down your ability |
๐ Countries, Nationalities and Languages โ ใใซใใใใใใใ
Here is the payoff for learning katakana: almost every country name outside East Asia is in katakana. Add ใใ to the country for the people (ใขใกใชใซใใ, an American) and ใ for the language (ใใฉใณในใ, French). For Japan, China and Korea the country names are written in hiragana here (and kanji in real life).
| Country | Japanese | Nationality (-ใใ) | Language (-ใ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | ในใณใใใฉใณใ Sukottorando | ในใณใใใฉใณใใใ Sukottorando-jin | ใใใ eigo |
| United Kingdom | ใคใฎใชใน Igirisu | ใคใฎใชในใใ Igirisu-jin | ใใใ eigo |
| England | ใคใณใฐใฉใณใ Ingurando | ใคใณใฐใฉใณใใใ Ingurando-jin | ใใใ eigo |
| USA | ใขใกใชใซ Amerika | ใขใกใชใซใใ Amerika-jin | ใใใ eigo |
| Hungary | ใใณใฌใชใผ Hangarฤซ | ใใณใฌใชใผใใ Hangarฤซ-jin | ใใณใฌใชใผใ Hangarฤซ-go |
| France | ใใฉใณใน Furansu | ใใฉใณในใใ Furansu-jin | ใใฉใณในใ Furansu-go |
| Germany | ใใคใ Doitsu | ใใคใใใ Doitsu-jin | ใใคใใ Doitsu-go |
| Italy | ใคใฟใชใข Itaria | ใคใฟใชใขใใ Itaria-jin | ใคใฟใชใขใ Itaria-go |
| Spain | ในใใคใณ Supein | ในใใคใณใใ Supein-jin | ในใใคใณใ Supein-go |
| Japan | ใซใปใ Nihon | ใซใปใใใ Nihon-jin | ใซใปใใ Nihongo |
| China | ใกใ
ใใใ Chลซgoku | ใกใ
ใใใใใ Chลซgoku-jin | ใกใ
ใใใใ Chลซgokugo |
| Korea | ใใใใ Kankoku | ใใใใใใ Kankoku-jin | ใใใใใ Kankokugo |
The Pattern Is Always the Same
country + ใใ = a person from there; country + ใ = the language. The exceptions are English (ใใใ, not ใคใฎใชในใ) and a few others: learn them as you meet them.
๐๏ธ Cities โ ใพใก
| City | Japanese | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | ใจใธใณใใฉ | Ejinbara |
| London | ใญใณใใณ | Rondon |
| Budapest | ใใใในใ | Budapesuto |
| Paris | ใใช | Pari |
| Berlin | ใใซใชใณ | Berurin |
| New York | ใใฅใผใจใผใฏ | Nyลซyลku |
| Tokyo | ใจใใใใ | Tลkyล |
| Osaka | ใใใใ | ลsaka |
๐ค Three More Verbs โ ใฉใใ
| Verb | Present (polite) | Negative | Past |
|---|---|---|---|
| to live (ใใ) | ใใฟใพใ sumimasu | ใใฟใพใใ sumimasen | ใใฟใพใใ sumimashita |
| to speak (ใฏใชใ) | ใฏใชใใพใ hanashimasu | ใฏใชใใพใใ hanashimasen | ใฏใชใใพใใ hanashimashita |
| to return home (ใใใ) | ใใใใพใ kaerimasu | ใใใใพใใ kaerimasen | ใใใใพใใ kaerimashita |
ใใใงใใพใ โ A Set Phrase for Now
ใใใงใใพใ ("am living") is a continuing form of ใใฟใพใ. You'll study it properly in a later course. For now, learn it as a fixed phrase: ใใซ ใใใงใใพใ = "I live inโฆ".
๐ Vocabulary โ ใใ
20 key words. Read the Japanese first, then check the romaji.
| # | Japanese | Romaji | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ใใซ | kuni | country | noun |
| 2 | ใใใซ | okuni | your country (polite) | noun |
| 3 | ใฉใ | doko | where | noun |
| 4 | ใฉใกใ | dochira | where (polite); which | noun |
| 5 | ใใ | kara | from | noun |
| 6 | ใใ | -jin | person from (a country) | noun |
| 7 | ใ | -go | language | noun |
| 8 | ใใใ | eigo | English (language) | noun |
| 9 | ใซใปใใ | Nihongo | Japanese (language) | noun |
| 10 | ใซใปใ | Nihon | Japan | noun |
| 11 | ใคใฎใชใน | Igirisu | the United Kingdom | noun |
| 12 | ในใณใใใฉใณใ | Sukottorando | Scotland | noun |
| 13 | ใขใกใชใซ | Amerika | America; USA | noun |
| 14 | ใใณใฌใชใผ | Hangarฤซ | Hungary | noun |
| 15 | ใใฉใณใน | Furansu | France | noun |
| 16 | ใใคใ | Doitsu | Germany | noun |
| 17 | ใใฟใพใ | sumimasu | to live | verb |
| 18 | ใฏใชใใพใ | hanashimasu | to speak | verb |
| 19 | ใใใ | sukoshi | a little | adj |
| 20 | ใจใใ | tokoro | place | noun |
Real Japanese Tip โ ในใณใใใฉใณใ, ใคใฎใชใน and ใคใณใฐใฉใณใ
Japanese separates the parts of the UK. ใคใฎใชใน means the United Kingdom as a whole (and is what people normally say for "Britain"), ใคใณใฐใฉใณใ is England and ในใณใใใฉใณใ is Scotland. If you say you're ในใณใใใฉใณใใใ, you'll get an interested reaction: it's a country many Japanese people associate with whisky, castles and Edinburgh.
Modesty With Language: ใกใใฃใจ
When asked if you speak or understand a language, a modest ใกใใฃใจ ใใใใพใ or ใใใ ใใใใพใ ("a little") is the polite answer, even if you're fluent. It's modesty, not lack of confidence, and Japanese speakers do it all the time about their English.
ใฉใกใ Is More Polite Than ใฉใ
Both mean "where", but ใฉใกใ is the polite, formal choice, so use it with strangers and in service situations: ใฉใกใใใ ใใพใใใ. ใฉใ is fine with friends.
Kanji Spotlight โ ไบบ and ๅฝ
ไบบ (hito, jin) means person, and it's the ใใ in ๆฅๆฌไบบ (Nihon-jin, a Japanese person). It looks like a person walking. ๅฝ (kuni, koku) means country: a king's treasure inside a border. So ๅคๅฝไบบ (gaikoku-jin) is a "foreign-country person", a foreigner, and you've already met the word ใใใใ (foreign country) in Hiragana 2.
โ๏ธ Try It Yourself โ ใใใใ ใ
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Say where you come from, using ใใ ใใพใใ.
Show answer
(Place)ใใ ใใพใใใ For example ใจใธใณใใฉใใ ใใพใใใ
2. How do you say "I'm Scottish / British / Hungarian"?
Show answer
ในใณใใใฉใณใใใใงใใ ยท ใคใฎใชในใใใงใใ ยท ใใณใฌใชใผใใใงใใ
3. Someone asks you politely which country you come from. What do they say?
Show answer
ใใใซใฏ ใฉใกใใงใใใ (Okuni wa dochira desu ka.)
4. Say "I understand a little Japanese".
Show answer
ใซใปใใใ ใใใ ใใใใพใใ (or ใกใใฃใจ)
5. How do you say "I live in Edinburgh"?
Show answer
ใจใธใณใใฉใซ ใใใงใใพใใ
6. What is the difference between ใฉใ and ใฉใกใ?
Show answer
Both mean "where", but ใฉใกใ is more polite and is best with strangers.
Coming Up in Chapter 5
Talking about your family: your own family and other people's families have different words in Japanese. You'll learn ใฏใฏ, ใกใก versus ใใใใใ, ใใจใใใ, and how to say there is somebody (ใใพใ).