生まれました
umaremashita
The Japanese phrase for "I was born" is 生まれました (umaremashita).
This phrase is used to state the time or place of one's birth. In Japanese, the subject I (watashi) is often omitted when using this phrase if the context makes it clear you are talking about yourself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The dictionary form (present tense) of the verb is 生まれる. The polite past form is 生まれました, while the casual past form is 生まれた.
How do you pronounce it?
umaremashita
Did you know?
- While 生まれました means 'was born', Japanese uses a different verb, 産みました, when the subject is the mother. This distinguishes the act of being born from the act of giving birth.
- The passive-sounding 'was born' is actually just the standard active past tense in Japanese, as the verb itself inherently describes the process of being born.
- The kanji for birth in 生まれる is 生, which also means 'life', 'raw', and 'fresh'. This links the act of being born directly to the concept of raw vitality.
Examples in context
- ここで生まれました。I was born here.This sentence is useful for stating where you were born using 生まれました.Tatoeba #11619174 by small_snow, translation #1887918 by CK
- 戦後に生まれました。I was born after the war.This sentence is useful for stating the time period of your birth using 生まれました.Tatoeba #11871066 by small_snow, translation #10791774 by ddnktr
- 韓国で生まれました。I was born in Korea.This sentence is useful for stating the country of your birth using 生まれました.Tatoeba #12593262 by small_snow, translation #11340605 by ddnktr
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two classmates are talking about their hometowns.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さんはどこで生まれましたか。Yui-san wa doko de umaremashita ka.Yui, where were you born?
- 結衣 Yui私は北海道で生まれました。Watashi wa Hokkaido de umaremashita.I was born in Hokkaido.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうなんですね。いいところですね。Sō nan desu ne. Ii tokoro desu ne.I see. That is a nice place.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さんはどこで生まれましたか。Hiroto-san wa doko de umaremashita ka.Where were you born, Hiroto?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
