日本のどこの出身ですか
Nihon no doko no shusshin desu kapolite, standard
To ask "where in Japan are you from", say 日本のどこの出身ですか (Nihon no doko no shusshin desu ka). It is polite and neutral. A more respectful version is 日本のどちらのご出身ですか. It is also called 日本のどこから来たの (Nihon no doko kara kita no).
Meaning: asking which part of Japan someone comes from (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 日本のどこの出身ですか | Nihon no doko no shusshin desu ka | polite, standard |
| 日本のどこから来たの | Nihon no doko kara kita no | casual |
| 日本のどちらのご出身ですか | Nihon no dochira no go-shusshin desu ka | very polite |
What does it mean word for word?
日本の is "of Japan", どこ is "where", 出身 is "place of origin" and ですか makes it a polite question.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
どちら is the polite word for どこ. Use the casual 日本のどこから来たの only with friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
A typical answer names the place followed by 出身です, as in 大阪出身です (Ōsaka shusshin desu), "I am from Osaka".
Did you know?
- Japanese speakers often answer with a city or prefecture, such as Osaka or Hokkaido, rather than just "Japan".
Examples in context
- 東京出身です。Tōkyō shusshin desu.I am from Tokyo.
- 日本のどちらのご出身ですか。Nihon no dochira no go-shusshin desu ka?Which part of Japan are you from?
Example conversation
Two travelers talk at a hostel in Hiroshima.
- Traveler日本のどこの出身ですか。Nihon no doko no shusshin desu ka?Where in Japan are you from?
- Local大阪出身です。Ōsaka shusshin desu.I am from Osaka.
- Travelerいいところですね。Ii tokoro desu ne.That is a nice place.
