Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (2025)

Where are you from in Japanese?

Do you know how to ask and answer this?

You should! You’ll need it for simple Japanese conversations.

Here’s how. There are multiple ways to ask this question. In this guide, you’ll learn 11+ phrases total. You learn 5 ways to ask and 6 ways to answer this question. Sound good?

Good. Keep reading. It’ll take a minute or two.

Want to learn how to write in Japanese? Download your free Japanese Alphabet worksheet here.

By the way, since you’re learning Japanese…

…you NEED to LISTEN to Japanese.

So, here’s afun audio lessonwhere you’ll learn some basic words and greetings. Press play and listen below right now.

#1 出身はどこですか

  • Where are you from?
  • 出身はどこですか
  • Shusshin wa doko desu ka.
  • Literal translation: Where is your origin?
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (1)

Let’s break down this question

  • Shusshin – Origin
  • Wa – topic marker (can be translated as “is” here)
  • Doko – where
  • Ka – question marker

So, “shusshin” means “place you are from” or “origin” in terms of your country or city. But when translated to English, instead of saying “Where is your origin,” this phrase is translated to “Where are you from?”

Now, there’s a more polite way to ask Where are you from in Japanese.

Chances are, you’ll hear this.

2. ご出身はどちらですか

  • Literal translation: Where is your origin?
  • ご出身はどちらですか
  • go-Shusshin wa doko desu ka.

Yes, all we did here is add “go” to shusshin.” Adding this “go” makes nouns super polite. Don’t worry about learning this just yet.

3. どこから来ましたか。

  • Where did you come from?
  • どこから来ましたか。
  • Doko kara kimashita ka?
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (2)

Let’s break this question down.

  • Doko – where
  • Kara – from
  • Kimashita (past tenses of the verb “Kuru” which means “to come”) – came
  • ka – question marker

4. どちらの国の方ですか。

  • What country are you from?
  • どちらの国の方ですか。
  • Dochira no kuni no kata desu ka?
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (3)

Let’s break this all down.

  • Dochira – polite version of doko
  • kuni – country
  • kata – this has many definitions. Here, it’s the polite way of saying “person”

“Kuni” means “country” and “dochira” is a polite form of “doko” or “where.” So, here, they’re just asking what country you’re from in a polite way.

There’s a more casual form of this.

5. どこの国の人?

  • Which country are you from?
  • Literally: Of what/where country’s person?
  • どこの国の人?
  • Doko no kuni no hito?
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (4)

Let’s break down these words.

  • Doko – where
  • no – possessive particle
  • kuni – country
  • hito – person

Literally, they’re asking “what country person?” Remember, “hito” means person.

Okay, you know how to ask Where are you from in Japanese.

Now, how do you answer this question?

Think about English. You can say “I’m from the US.” You can say “I’m American.” Or, “I came from Italy.” There are plenty of ways to answer, depending on your style.

So here are a bunch of ways to answerWhere are you from in Japanese. Plus, knowing how to say this is will also help you learn how to introduce yourself in Japanese

6. (country) です。

  • I am from (country)
  • (country) です。
  • (country) desu.
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (5)

Here, you’re just literally saying “America” or “Australia.” This is a quick and casual way to answer the question. So, you can say…

  • アメリカ です。
  • Amerika desu.
  • I’m from the U.S.
  • オーストラリアです。
  • Oosutoraria desu.
  • I’m from Australia

You can use this when someone asks you about your “shusshin”

By the way, below is a list of countries in Japanese to help you fill in the blank.

JapaneseEnglishRomanized
アメリカUnited StatesAmerika
アルゼンチンArgentinaAruzenchin
オーストラリアAustraliaOosutoraria
ブラジルBrazilBurajiru
ブルガリアBulgariaBurugaria
カナダCanadaKanada
中国ChinaChuugoku
チェコCzech RepublicCheko
デンマークDenmarkDenmaaku
オランダThe NetherlandsOranda
フィリピンPhilippinesFiripin
イギリスEnglandIgirisu
フィンランドFinlandFinrando
フランスFranceFransu
ドイツGermanyDoitsu
ギリシャGreeceGirisha
ハンガリーHungaryHangarii
インドIndiaIndo
インドネシアIndonesiaIndoneshia
イタリアItalyItaria
日本JapanNihon
韓国KoreaKankoku
メキシコMexicoMekishiko
モロッコMoroccoMorokko
ノルウェーNorwayNoruwee
パキスタンPakistanPakistan
パナマPanamaPanama
ポーランドPolandPoorando
ポルトガルPortugalPortugaru
ルーマニアRomaniaRuumania
ロシアRussiaRoshia
シンガポール.SingaporeShingapooru
スロバキアSlovakiaSurobakia
南アフリカSouth AfricaMinami Afurika
スペインSpainSupein
スウェーデンSwedenSweeden
タイThailandTai
トルコTurkeyToruko
ウクライナUkraineUkuraina
ベトナムVietnamBetonamu

Or, you can use the next answer.

7. (country)しゅっしんです。

  • Literally: (country) origin
  • (country)しゅっしんです。
  • (country) shusshin desu.
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (6)

So, yes, you can just say “Amerika shusshin desu.” This is a very casual answer.

Another variation you can use is this one below.

A bit more polite since you’re speaking in fuller sentences.

8. 私は(country) 出身です。

  • I am from (country) .
  • 私は(country) 出身です。
  • Watashi wa (country) shusshin desu.
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (7)

Here’s another slight variation. Don’t worry, not much difference in meaning.

9. My origin is (country).

  • My origin is (country).
  • 私の出身は(country)です。
  • Watashi no shusshin wa (country) desu.

10. (nationality人) です。

  • I am (nationality).
  • (nationality人) です。
  • (nationality Jin) desu.
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (8)

Here, you’re literally saying “I’m American” or “I’m Australian.”

In Japanese, nationalities and ethnicities usually end with the character “人” which here is read as “jin.”

For example:

  • アメリカ – Amerikajin – American
  • 韓国– Kankokujin – Korean
  • スペイン – Supeinjin – Spanish (from Spain)
  • オーストラリア – Oosutorariajin– Australian

Here’s a full list of nationalities in Japanese.

JapaneseEnglishRomanized
アメリカ人AmericanAmerikajin
アルゼンチン人ArgentinianAruzenchinjin
オーストラリア人AustralianOosutorariajin
ブラジル人BrazilianBurajirujin
ブルガリア人BulgarianBurugariajin
カナダ人CanadianKanadajin
中国人ChineseChuugokujin
チェコ人CzechChekojin
デンマーク人DanishDenmaakujin
オランダ人DutchOrandajin
フィリピン人FilipinoFiripinjin
フィンランド人FinnishFinrandojin
フランス人FrenchFransujin
ドイツ人GermanDoitsujin
ギリシャ人GreekGirishajin
ハンガリー人HungarianHangariijin
インド人IndianIndojin
インドネシア人IndonesianIndoneshiajin
イタリア人ItalianItariajin
日本人JapaneseNihonjin
韓国人KoreanKankokujin
メキシコ人MexicanMekishikojin
モロッコ人MoroccanMorokkojin
ノルウェー人NorwegianNoruweejin
パキスタン人PakistaniPakistanjin
パナマ人PanamanianPanamajin
ポーランド人PolishPoorandojin
ポルトガル人PortuguesePortugarujin
ルーマニア人RomanianRuumaniajin
ロシア人RussianRoshiajin
シンガポール人.SingaporeanShingapoorujin
スロバキア人SlovakianSurobakiajin
南アフリカ人South African

Minami Afurikajin

スペイン人Spanish (Spain)Supeinjin
スウェーデン人SwedishSweedenjin
タイ人ThaiTaijin
トルコ人TurkishTorukojin
ウクライナ人UkrainianUkurainajin
ベトナム人VietnameseBetonamujin

11. (country)から来ました。

Or, you can also say… “I came from (country)” if they ask you “Doko kara kimashita ka?”

  • (country)から来ました。
  • (country) kara kimashita.
  • I’m from (country).
  • Literally: I came from (country).
Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (9)

Conclusion – Back to You

That’s it!

Now you know how to ask where are you from in Japanese.

You also know how to answer the question. You know nationalities and countries in Japanese.

So, if someone asks you, “Shusshin wa doko desu ka,” you will be able to give an answer.

And now, you know a whole lot more Japanese than before.

– Written by the Main Junkie

P.S. Want to speak Japanese with an easy 3 minute lesson?

Then check out JapanesePod101.com. They have 3-10 minute audio/video lessons that get you speaking and understanding Japanese. So, if you want to speak and learn this language…click here to get a Free Lifetime Account at JapanesePod101.com

Where Are You From In Japanese: 11 Phrases You Need (2025)

FAQs

How do you ask where are you from in Japanese? ›

Without a doubt, Japanese native speakers often use the following two phrases in conversations to say “Where are you from?” in Japanese. どこからきましたか? (Doko kara kimashita ka? | どこから来ましたか?) しゅっしんはどこですか? (Shusshin wa doko desu ka?

What does doko kara kimashita ka mean? ›

Taka | どこから来ましたか?(Doko kara kimashita ka?) means “Where are you from?” You can use this phrase to ask someone where they... |

How do you say "you're from somewhere" in Japanese? ›

  1. 出身は[place]です。 (Shusshin wa [place] desu.)
  2. his literally means "My origin is [place]."
  3. For example, to say "I'm from Sydney, Australia," you would say:
  4. 出身はオーストラリアのシドニーです。 (Shusshin wa Australia no Sydney desu.)
  5. or.
  6. シドニー出身です。 (Sydney shusshin desu.)
Apr 16, 2019

What does Doko ni sunde imasu ka? ›

どこに住んでいますか。 Doko ni. sunde imasu ka. (Where do you live?)

What does watashi no ai no mean? ›

“watashi no ai” can be translated as “my love” in Japanese. Here, the word love refers to the emotion of love. If you want to translate “my lover” in Japanese, then you can say “watashi no koibito”.

What is doko no? ›

Doko no means “where". Though, dono kuni kara kimasita ka (どの国から来ましたか) and go-kokuseki wa dochira desu ka (ご国籍はどちらですか) are other ways to put it. Go-kokuseki (ご国籍) means “your nationality”. Still, I would use these 2 forms only if I was asking specifically about a country.

What does Kore Kara Mo mean in Japanese? ›

これから • (kore kara) from now on; from this point on; from now これからの 日 に 本 ほん kore kara no Nihon Japan, from now on. これからもよろしく。 Kore kara mo yoroshiku. Let's keep in touch.

What does Nandayo Koitsu mean? ›

“Nanda yo” is a throwaway line, something one says to tell the listener(s), “Something's not right here, and I'm ready to bite soneone's head off.” This is similar to WTF in English. Standard Japanese would put “Koitsu wa” at the beginning of the sentence, and it's a general term of abuse.

How do you say no thank you in Japanese politely? ›

Daijoubu desu (だいじょうぶ です) or kekkou desu (けっこうです)

Daijoubu desu – meaning “it's ok” or “I'm ok” – and kekkou desu – “it's fine” – are both ways to say “no, thank you,” when offered something or invited somewhere. Kekkou desu is much more polite, while daijoubu and daijoubu desu are a little more casual.

How do you say no in Japanese politely? ›

Let's start by looking at the most basic word for “no.” In Japanese, the polite way to say “no” is “いいえ (Iie).” Regardless, いいえ (Iie) is still rarely used as a way to refuse, even in formal situations. It is the most straightforward, blunt way of doing it, while the casual way of saying “no” is いや (iya).

What can I say instead of Genki desu ka? ›

You can respond to "genki desu ka" in Japanese by saying "genki desu" if you are feeling well, or "genki dewa arimasen" if you are not feeling well. This phrase is a common Japanese greeting that means "How are you?" or "Are you well?" Most native-Japanese speakers would say お蔭(かげ)さまで “O-kagé-sama de.”

How do you say sorry for leaving before you in Japanese? ›

Therefore, when leaving the workplace earlier than others, it is customary to say, 「 お先に失礼します」(osakini shitsureshimasu) to express regret for burdening others. Having used this phrase regularly while in Japan, I genuinely think saying this phrase is a way of showing sincerity.

What do Japanese people say before leaving? ›

Ittekimasu (行って来ます) – I'm leaving (when leaving home)

How do you ask someone's nationality in Japanese? ›

If you wanted to ask "Are you American?", you would sayAMERIKAjin desu ka. A more formal way of asking nationality is Doko no kata desu ka. The word doko means "where". It basically means "What is your nationality?" or "Where are you from?".

What is the difference between doko de and doko ka ni? ›

The difference between the two is this. When you are asking どこで Doko DE, you are asking “where at?” On the other hand, when you are asking どこに Doko NI, you are asking “where to?” You need to figure out if you want to ask “where at” or “where to” depending on the verb you have in the question.

How do you respond to Genki desu ka? ›

Explanation. In OGENKI DESU KA (Are you fine?), OGENKI is an adjective GENKI (fine, healthy) with an honorific O before it. If you answer, “Yes, I'm fine,” you say HAI, GENKI DESU.

Which country are you from in Japanese language? ›

Originally Answered: How do I say, "which country are you from?" in Japanese? Without saying, "どちらからですか" or "出身はどちらですか"? "どちらからですか" and "出身はどちらですか" are the most common phrases.

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