quelle est ta nationalité
The English phrase 'what nationality you are' is translated into French as quelle est ta nationalité.
This phrase is used to ask someone which country they are a citizen of. To answer the question, you can use the phrase Je suis [nationality]. For example, a female saying 'I am French' would say Je suis française.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase translates literally as 'which is your nationality'. The word quelle is the feminine form of 'which/what' used to agree with the feminine noun nationalité.
Which one should you use?
While Quelle est ta nationalité ? is grammatically correct, in casual conversation, French speakers often ask Tu es de quelle nationalité ? (You are of what nationality?).
Did you know?
- While quelle est ta nationalité is the textbook way to ask, using the word nationalité in a casual bar or party can sometimes feel overly formal or even like an interrogation by the police.
- In French, nationalities used as adjectives follow a specific capitalization rule: they are capitalized when used as a noun to describe a person, such as un Français, but lowercase when used as an adjective, such as le vin français.
- The word est is one of the very few instances in modern French where a silent internal 's' is preserved in the spelling. This follows its Latin ancestor 'est' and is similar to the spelling used in the name 'Jésus-Christ'.
Examples in context
- Je suis françaisI am French
- Je suis canadien(ne)I am Canadian
- Je suis allemand(e)I am German
- Je ne sais pas quelle est ta nationalité.I don't know what your nationality is.
- Dis-moi, quelle est ta nationalité ?Tell me, what nationality are you?
Example conversation
Two students are meeting for the first time at school.
- HugoSalut Léa, quelle est ta nationalité ?Hi Léa, what is your nationality?
- LéaJe suis canadienne, et toi ?I am Canadian, and you?
- HugoMoi, je suis français.Me, I am French.
- LéaC'est super, Hugo !That's great, Hugo!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, nationalité, ta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
