日本出身です
Nihon shusshin desu
To say "I am from japan" in Japanese, use 日本出身です (Nihon shusshin desu).
This phrase is used to state that Japan is your country of origin.
Which one should you use?
While 日本出身です focuses on your place of origin/birth, 日本から来ました focuses on the action of having come from Japan.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of です makes this a polite and standard way to state your origin in most social situations. For more formal contexts, you can use Watashi wa Nihon kara kimashita. Conversely, Boku wa Nihon-jin da. is an informal way to say "I am Japanese," and Ore wa Nihon kara kita. means "I came from Japan."
How do you pronounce it?
Nihon shusshin desu
Did you know?
- The term 出身 (shusshin) does not just mean you were born there, but can also refer to the specific university or alma mater you graduated from.
- In Japanese, the word for Japan, 日本, can be pronounced as either Nihon or Nippon. While Nihon is common in daily speech, Nippon is often used on postage stamps and during sporting events to sound more formal or patriotic.
- In Japanese, the word for 'Japan' is written with two characters, 日本, which literally translate to 'sun origin' or 'land of the rising sun'.
Examples in context
- 私は日本から来ました。 (Watashi wa Nihon kara kimashita.)I am from Japan.
- 私は日本出身です。よろしくお願いします。Watashi wa Nihon shusshin desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I am from Japan. Nice to meet you.
Example conversation
At an international party, two people are introducing themselves.
- 大翔 Hirotoはじめまして、大翔です。Hajimemashite, Hiroto desu.Nice to meet you, I am Hiroto.
- 美咲 Misaki美咲です。どちらからですか？Misaki desu. Dochira kara desu ka?I am Misaki. Where are you from?
- 大翔 Hiroto日本出身です。Nihon shusshin desu.I am from Japan.
- 美咲 Misakiそうなんですね！Sou nan desu ne!I see!
