cuál es tu nacionalidad
/kwal es tu naθjonalidad/from spelling rules
The English phrase "what your nationality is" is translated into Spanish as cuál es tu nacionalidad.
This phrase is a question used to ask someone which country they are a citizen of. While cuál es tu nacionalidad is grammatically correct, in natural everyday conversation, people much more commonly use the phrase ¿De dónde eres? to ask "Where are you from?" When stating your own nationality, remember that adjectives of nationality are not capitalized in Spanish, such as in Soy inglés.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from cuál (which), es (is), tu (your) and nacionalidad (nationality).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, there are two common ways to express nationality. You can use the verb ser before the preposition de and the country, or you can use the verb ser followed directly by the nationality. For example, a person might say Soy mexicano if they are male or Soy mexicana if they are female. Additionally, the phrase Soy americano is used to say "I am American".
How does it change in a sentence?
When writing this as a question, you must enclose it with both an opening and a closing question mark: ¿Cuál es tu nacionalidad?
Did you know?
- The word americano refers to anyone from the entire American continent, not just the United States. People from the US often specify estadounidense to avoid confusion.
- Even though you are asking about 'nationality', using cuál es tu nacionalidad can sound slightly clinical or official, like a form being filled out at an airport.
- The Spanish word nacionalidad ends with the suffix -idad, which is the direct equivalent of the English suffix '-ity' in words like 'nationality' or 'ability'.
Examples in context
- Yo soy de Estados UnidosI am from the United States
- Soy mexicanoI am Mexican
- Mi nacionalidad es españolaMy nationality is Spanish
- Soy de ArgentinaI am from Argentina
- Yo soy colombianoI am Colombian
- Mi país de origen es ChileMy country of origin is Chile
- Soy españolI am Spanish
- No sé cuál es tu nacionalidad.I don't know what your nationality is.
- Dime cuál es tu nacionalidad.Tell me what your nationality is.
- ¿Puedes decirme cuál es tu nacionalidad?Can you tell me what your nationality is?
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are meeting at a language exchange event.
- MateoHola, ¿cuál es tu nacionalidad?Hello, what is your nationality?
- ElenaSoy española, ¿y tú?I am Spanish, and you?
- MateoYo soy mexicano.I am Mexican.
- Elena¡Qué bien!That's great!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuál, es, nacionalidad, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
