Where you're from
Conversation phrases, Stage 1chunk 1 of 68Getting to know you
Ask where someone is from and say where you grew up.
- doko kara kita no?where are you from?; where did you come from?
- ... shusshin da yoI'm from ...; I grew up in ...
- shusshin doko?where are you from?; where did you grow up?
- jimoto doko?where's your hometown?
- umare mo sodachi mo ...born and raised in ...
Mix-ups doko kara kita no can also mean 'where have you just come from' today.
doko kara kita no?
polite dochira kara irasshatta n desu ka?
where are you from?; where did you come from?
Asked when meeting a newcomer, usually meaning which country; answer with the place plus kara (kanada kara).
Can also mean where you've just come from today; context decides.
nee, doko kara kita no? amerika?
Hey, where are you from? America?
ねえ、どこから来たの？アメリカ？
sumimasen, dochira kara irasshatta n desu ka?
Excuse me, where are you from?
すみません、どちらからいらっしゃったんですか？
Written どこから来たの？ · どこからきたの？ · どちらからいらっしゃったんですか？Who you say it and hear itHeard 364× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
... shusshin da yo
polite ... shusshin desu
I'm from ...; I grew up in ...
Your answer to shusshin doko?; put the country, city or prefecture first.
kanada no toronto shusshin da yo.
I'm from Toronto, in Canada.
カナダのトロント出身だよ。
kanada no toronto shusshin desu.
I'm from Toronto, in Canada.
カナダのトロント出身です。
Written 〜出身だよ · 〜しゅっしんだよ · 〜出身ですWho you say itHeard 42× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
shusshin doko?
polite goshusshin wa dochira desu ka?
where are you from?; where did you grow up?
Asks where someone was born and raised; between Japanese people it usually means which prefecture.
Doko kara kita no? is the vaguer 'which country' version.
shusshin doko? watashi wa oosaka.
Where are you from? I'm from Osaka.
出身どこ？私は大阪。
goshusshin wa dochira desu ka? watashi wa oosaka desu.
Where are you from? I'm from Osaka.
ご出身はどちらですか？私は大阪です。
Written 出身どこ？ · しゅっしんどこ？ · ご出身はどちらですか？Who you say it and hear itHeard 23× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
jimoto doko?
polite jimoto wa dochira desu ka?
where's your hometown?
Casual; mostly asked between Japanese people who've moved to a city for work or study.
Jimoto also means your local area: jimoto no tomodachi (friends from back home).
jimoto doko? natsu ni kaeru no?
Where's home for you? Going back for the summer?
地元どこ？夏に帰るの？
jimoto wa dochira desu ka? natsu ni kaerimasu ka?
Where's your hometown? Are you going back for the summer?
地元はどちらですか？夏に帰りますか？
Written 地元どこ？ · じもとどこ？ · 地元はどちらですか？Who you say it and hear itHeard too rare in film subtitles to count
umare mo sodachi mo ...
polite umare mo sodachi mo ... desu
born and raised in ...
Says you've lived in one place your whole life; the place comes at the end.
umare mo sodachi mo oosaka da yo.
I was born and raised in Osaka.
生まれも育ちも大阪だよ。
umare mo sodachi mo oosaka desu.
I was born and raised in Osaka.
生まれも育ちも大阪です。
Written 生まれも育ちも〜 · うまれもそだちも〜 · 生まれも育ちも〜ですWho you say itHeard 11× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles