What does it mean word for word?
The term for an American is アメリカ人, which is composed of Amerika (America) and jin (person or nationality). The ending ではありません (dewa arimasen) is the formal negative copula used to negate a noun, meaning "is not" or "am not".
Which one should you use?
Different forms exist depending on the level of politeness and whether you are speaking or writing. In polite but less formal daily conversation, you can replace the ending with janai desu to say アメリカ人じゃないです. There are also informal variations like 僕はアメリカ人じゃないよ or the more blunt 俺はアメリカ人じゃねえ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, use アメリカ人ではありません. For polite daily conversation, アメリカ人じゃないです is a common choice. The most informal or blunt forms include 僕はアメリカ人じゃないよ or 俺はアメリカ人じゃねえ.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses ではありません (dewa arimasen) as a formal way to negate the noun that precedes it.
How do you pronounce it?
amerika-jin dewa arimasen
Did you know?
- When denying a nationality, a Japanese speaker might simply say 日本人です (I am Japanese) instead of saying アメリカ人ではありません, as positive statements are often preferred over direct negations.
- Because Japanese is a high-context language, stating 私は (Watashi wa) at the start of アメリカ人ではありません can actually make you sound suspicious or defensive. It emphasizes 'I' so strongly that it may imply you are being interrogated.
- While 'Amerika' is the standard, you might hear people use the term Beikoku (米国) in news reports or formal documents to refer to the 'United States'. In that context, saying you are not from 'Beikoku' would sound very official and almost journalistic.
Examples in context
- アメリカ人ではありません。Amerika jin de wa arimasen.I am not American.
- すみません、私はアメリカ人ではありません。Sumimasen, watashi wa Amerika jin de wa arimasen.Excuse me, I am not American.
- 彼はアメリカ人ではありません。Kare wa Amerika jin de wa arimasen.He is not American.
Example conversation
A woman asks a man about his nationality at a party.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんはアメリカ人ですか？Hiroto-san wa Amerika jin desu ka?Hiroto, are you American?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいえ、アメリカ人ではありません。Iie, Amerika jin de wa arimasen.No, I am not American.
- 美咲 Misakiそうですか。日本人ですか？Sou desu ka. Nihon jin desu ka?I see. Are you Japanese?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、日本人です。Hai, Nihon jin desu.Yes, I am Japanese.
