How to Talk About Your Nationality - Examples and Variations

Master how to talk about your nationality with the key pattern

Also Appears In: Can Introduce Yourself Level 1.1 Can Do French

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Let's look at some examples.

Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers.

Je suis française.

Je suis américaine.

Je suis australienne.

Je suis anglais.

Je ne suis pas japonaise, je suis chinoise.

Did you notice how the last speaker uses a different pattern?

Je ne suis pas japonaise, je suis chinoise.

"I'm not Japanese. I'm Chinese."

First is Je, "I." Je.

Next is ne, the first part of ne…pas, meaning "not." Ne (enunciated). Ne.

Next is suis. "Am." Suis.

After this is pas, the second part of ne… pas, meaning "not." Pas (enunciated). Pas.

Together, it's je ne suis pas, meaning "I'm not." Je ne suis pas.

Next is japonaise. "Japanese." Japonaise (enunciated). Japonaise.

Note: japonaise is the feminine form of japonais.

All together, Je ne suis pas japonaise. "I'm not Japanese." Je ne suis pas japonaise.

Jing Liu then states her actual nationality. Je suis chinoise. "I'm Chinese." Je suis chinoise.

First, je. "I." Je.

Then is suis. "Am." Suis.

Suis is from the verb être, meaning "to be." Être.

After this is chinoise, "Chinese." Chinoise.

Note: chinoise is the feminine form of chinois.

Together, Je suis chinoise. "I'm Chinese." Je suis chinoise.

All together, Je ne suis pas japonaise, je suis chinoise. "I'm not Japanese. I'm Chinese."

Je ne suis pas japonaise, je suis chinoise.

This pattern is

Je suis NATIONALITY, je suis ACTUAL NATIONALITY.

I'm NATIONALITY. I’m ACTUAL NATIONALITY.

This can be shortened to

Non, je suis NATIONALITY.

No, I'm NATIONALITY.

Remember this shortened pattern. You’ll need it for the practice section.

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