出身です
shusshin desu
The Japanese phrase for "I come from" is 出身です (shusshin desu).
This phrase is used to state your place of birth, your hometown or the place where you grew up.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is formed by attaching the polite copula です (desu) to the noun 出身 (shusshin), which literally means "origin" or "place of departure".
How do you pronounce it?
shusshin desu
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use から来ました (kara kimashita) to mean "I come from [place]", but 出身です (shusshin desu) is more natural when identifying your origin or hometown.
Did you know?
- The word 出身 (shusshin) is also used to describe which university or school a person graduated from. If you say your school name followed by 出身です, people will understand you are an alumnus.
- The word 出身 (shusshin) contains the character 出 (shutsu), which also appears in words for 'exit' and 'departure'. It frames one's hometown as the point from which they emerged into the world.
- Japanese culture places a high value on 'local' identities. Mentioning a specific small town rather than a large prefecture when using 出身です (shusshin desu) can spark immediate conversation and kinship.
Examples in context
- カナダ出身です。I come from Canada.Tatoeba #13356104 by small_snow, translation #11259928 by ddnktr
- 私は埼玉の出身です。I come from Saitama.Tatoeba #156833 by tommy__san, translation #257700 by CN
- ウクライナ出身です。I come from Ukraine.Tatoeba #13189850 by atitarev, translation #12590136 by ShiningGem10
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are introducing themselves in a classroom.
- 結衣 Yui結衣です。大阪出身です。Yui desu. Osaka shusshin desu.I am Yui. I come from Osaka.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうですか。僕は東京出身です。Sou desu ka. Boku wa Toukyou shusshin desu.I see. I come from Tokyo.
- 結衣 Yui東京もいいところですね。Toukyou mo ii tokoro desu ne.Tokyo is a nice place, too.
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、とても賑やかです。Hai, totemo nigiyaka desu.Yes, it is very lively.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
