Countries and Nationality
Content: Countries and Nationality
Aim: How do I say where I’m from?
New Vocabulary:
Japanese | Romaji | English |
にほん (人 orご) | nihon-jin, nihon-go | Japan, Japanese (person and the language) |
かんこく(人 orご) | kankoku-jin, kankoku-go | Korea, Korean (person and the language) |
ちゅうごく(人 orご) | chuugoku-jin, chuugoku-go | China, Chinese(person and the language) |
ポルトガル(人 orご) | porutogaru-jin, porutogaru-go | Portugal, Portuguese (person and the language) |
フランス(人 orご) | furansu-jin, furansu-go | Frence, French (person and the language) |
ドイツ(人 orご) | doitsu-jin, doitsu-go | Germany, German (person and the language) |
なにご | Nani go | What language |
なに人 | Nani jin | What nationality |
はなします | Hanashimasu | To speak |
ほかには | Hoka niwa | Other than that |
Sample sentences:
あなたはなに人ですか？(What nationality are you?)
anata wa nani jin desu ka?
あなたはフランス人ですか？(Are you French?)
Anata wa furansu jin desuka?
いいえ、わたしはスペイン人です。(No, I am Spanish.)
iie, watashi wa supein jin desu.
スペインごをはなしますか？(Do you speak Spanish?)
Supein go o hanashi masuka?
はい、スペインごをはなします。(Yes, I speak Spanish.)
hai, supein go o hanashi masu.
ほかには、なにごをはなしますか？(What other languages do you speak?)
Hokaniwa nanigo o hanashi masuka?
ドイツごとポルトガルごをはなします。(I speak German and Portuguese.)
Doitsugo to porutogarugo o hanashi masu.
あなたはかんこく人ですか？(Are you Korean?)
Anata wa kankoku jin desu ka?
いいえ、わたしはかんこくじんではありません。(No, I am not Korean.)
iie, watashi wa kankoku jin dewa arimasen.
わたしはちゅうごく人です。(I am Chinese.)
Watashi wa chuugoku jin desu.
| S-22-1 |
Lesson Point:
By adding “jin orじん” (人 in Kanji) after the name of the country, you refer the nationality of the person. “人”means a person and it shows a person firmly standing with two feet. Also by combining the name of the country and “go - ご”, you refer the language spoken in the country.
“ではありません”is a negative form. (e.g. I am not xxxx, or this is not xxxx). More explanations will follow in later chapter.
Mini-quiz:
Let’s practice saying your nationality and what language you speak in Japanese.
わたしは＿＿＿人（じん）です。
わたしは＿＿＿ごをはなします。
Writing Practice – Kanji:
人 –is pronounced “jin” here when combined with the name of a country, but is also pronounced “hito”, and indicates people, person and human. The shape of the kanji comes from a person standing with 2 feet.
