ネパール出身です
nepāru shusshin desu
The English phrase "I am from Nepal" can be translated into Japanese as ネパール出身です (nepāru shusshin desu).
This phrase is used to state that your place of origin is Nepal.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 出身 (shusshin) literally means origin or birthplace.
Which one should you use?
Another natural way to say 'I am from Nepal' is ネパールから来ました, which literally means "I came from Nepal".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ネパール出身です is the standard polite way to state your origin in social situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the polite copula です (desu) at the end to form a complete, polite sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
nepāru shusshin desu
Did you know?
- The word 出身 is composed of two characters that literally mean 'exit' and 'body', creating a concept of 'the body that exited [a place]'.
- The word 出身 can also be used to describe a person's educational background, such as saying you are 'from' a specific university.
- When stating your origin, it is common in Japan to omit the subject 'I' 私は (watashi wa). Including it can sometimes make the sentence sound overly formal or unnatural to native speakers.
Examples in context
- 私はネパール出身です。I am from Nepal.
- ネパール出身ですが、今は東京に住んでいます。Nepāru shusshin desu ga, ima wa Tōkyō ni sunde imasu.I am from Nepal, but I live in Tokyo now.
Example conversation
At a self-introduction party at a university.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太さんはどこから来ましたか？Yōta-san wa doko kara kimashita ka?Yota, where are you from?
- 陽太 Yotaネパール出身です。Nepāru shusshin desu.I am from Nepal.
- 美咲 Misakiそうなんですね！Sō nan desu ne!I see!
- 陽太 Yotaはい、よろしくお願いします。Hai, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Yes, nice to meet you.
