5.4: How to Describe Where You Are From
- Page ID
- 289586
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Describing your place of origin in Japanese is a simple and friendly way to connect with others. To express your home country or home town, you can use the word 出身 （しゅっしん）.
You can use 出身（しゅっしん） either as a stand-alone word or attach it to the place you’re from, as in オーストラリア出身 for ‘Australia-born’.
One of the easiest ways to use this word is within the sentence structure ‘XはYです’ (X is Y). For example, you can say:
私（わたし）の出身はオーストラリアです。
Watashi no shusshin wa Oosutoraria desu.
My home country is Australia.
Or
私はオーストラリア出身です。
Watashi wa Oosutoraria shusshin desu.
I’m from Australia.
Sharing where you’re from with friends or new acquaintances can be an enjoyable experience. It not only reveals a piece of your personal background but also provides an opportunity to discuss culture and customs.
For example, you might say:
私の出身はブラジルです。
Watashi no shusshin wa Burajiru desu.
My home country is Brazil.
ブラジルの人（ひと: people or person）は音楽（おんがく: ongaku）が大好（だいす）きです。
Burajiru no hito wa ongaku ga daisuki desu.
People in Brazil love music.
食べ物（たべもの: food）もおいしいですよ。
Tabemono mo oishii desu yo.
The food is also good.
This kind of conversation can arouse the interest of the person you’re talking to, sparking engaging discussions.
In addition, now that we’ve learned how to turn ‘XはYです’ into a question, you can ask about someone’s place of origin with the question word どこ (doko: where). The typical question is:
出身はどこですか。
Shusshin wa doko desu ka.
Where are you from?
So, when describing your place of origin, don’t hesitate to use 出身 and engage in friendly conversations. It’s an excellent opportunity to make new friends and share the unique aspects of your background!
出身 or -人 (じん)？
In Japanese, discussions about origins can be quite intriguing. There are several ways to describe where you’re from in Japanese. While 出身 is commonly used, people often use the term 人 (jin:じん), indicating nationality. In this context, 人 is not a standalone word; it’s combined with a country’s name. For example, オーストラリア人 (Ōsutoraria-jin) means ‘Australian’.
However, in today’s diverse world, people’s backgrounds are often multifaceted. Thus, 出身 can be more descriptive than simply using -人, which primarily denotes nationality but might overlook the complexity of one’s cultural identity.
Understanding the distinction between 出身 and -人 is crucial for recognising and expressing the rich diversity of our global community, acknowledging that people’s identities extend beyond mere nationality.
Exercise 1
Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://oercollective.caul.edu.au/japanese/?p=868#h5p-42