私は…出身です
watashi wa … shusshin desu
In Japanese, "I am from" is expressed as 私は…出身です (watashi wa … shusshin desu).
You use this phrase to state your place of origin, such as your country, city or prefecture. You can replace the ellipsis in …出身です with the name of the location, for example, Amerika shusshin desu.
What does it mean word for word?
The word shusshin literally means one's place of origin or hometown.
Which one should you use?
Using …shusshin desu focuses on your place of birth or upbringing. In contrast, the phrase …kara kimashita focuses on the act of having traveled from a place.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard polite way to state your origin in social settings is to use …shusshin desu. For more formal situations, you can use Watashi wa (your country) kara kimashita or Watashi wa, (your country) shūshin desu. A polite way to express your place of origin is (Your country) no shusshin desu. In informal settings, you can simply say (Your country) shusshin!
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase shusshin desu functions as the verb phrase meaning "am from" or "come from".
How do you pronounce it?
watashi wa … shusshin desu
Did you know?
- The word 出身 is composed of two kanji: 出 meaning 'exit' or 'leave' and 身 meaning 'body' or 'self', literally describing the 'self' coming out of a place.
- While shusshin refers to where you are from, Japanese has a distinct word 故郷 ('furusato') for the emotional, nostalgic feeling of a 'hometown'.
- If you are talking about a very prestigious school or a famous lineage, you might use the term shusshin to denote your pedigree or educational background.
