Various ways to say “Where are you from” in Chinese

The common expressions

你是哪儿/哪里(的)人？(Nǐ shì nǎr/nǎlǐ de rén?)

“Where are you from?” or “Where are you from originally?” A casual and commonly used phrase, especially in informal conversations.

e.g.

A: 你是哪里人？(Nǐ shì nǎlǐ rén?) Where are you from?
B: 我是北京人。(Wǒ shì Běijīng rén.) I’m from Beijing.

A: 你是哪儿的人？(Nǐ shì nǎr de rén?) Where are you from?
B: 我是沈阳人。(Wǒ shì Shěnyáng rén.) I’m from Shenyang.

你从哪里来？(Nǐ cóng nǎlǐ lái?)

This is a casual way of asking someone about their origin or where they’re coming from, typically used when someone has just arrived or when asking about their background.

e.g.

A: 你从哪儿来？(Nǐ cóng nǎr lái?) Where do you come from?
B: 我从广州来。(Wǒ cóng Guǎngzhōu lái.) I come from Guangzhou.

A: 你从哪儿来？(Nǐ cóng nǎr lái?) Where do you come from?
B: 我从香港来。(Wǒ cóng Xiānggǎng lái.) I’m from HongKong.

The uses in sentences

你是……还是……？(Nǐ shì… háishì…?)

It’s used when offering a choice or asking for clarification between two options. The structure is similar to “Are you [A] or [B]?” and is commonly used for nationality, identity, or preferences.

e.g.

A: 你是美国人还是加拿大人？(Nǐ shì Měiguó rén háishì Jiānádà rén?) Are you American or Canadian?
B: 我是加拿大人。(Wǒ shì Jiānádà rén.) I’m Canadian.

A: 你是中国人还是外国人？(Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén háishì wàiguó rén?) Are you Chinese or foreign?
B: 我是中国人。(Wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén.) I’m Chinese.

你是……国人吗？(Nǐ shì……guórén ma?)

This is a direct way to ask someone’s nationality, asking if they are from a particular country. It’s more formal and specific than 你是哪里人 (Where are you from?).

e.g.

A: 你是中国人吗？(Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén ma?) Are you Chinese?
B: 是的，我是中国人。(Shì de, wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén.) Yes, I’m Chinese.

A: 你是美国人吗？(Nǐ shì Měiguó rén ma?) Are you American?
B: 是的，我是美国人。(Shì de, wǒ shì Měiguó rén.) Yes, I’m American.

The extended phrases to express “Where are you from” in Chinese

你来自哪里？ (Nǐ láizì nǎlǐ?)

This is slightly more formal than “你是哪里人?” and can be used in both casual and more polite settings.

e.g.

A: 你来自哪里？(Nǐ láizì nǎlǐ?) Where do you come from?
B: 我来自上海。(Wǒ láizì Shànghǎi.) I come from Shanghai.

A: 你来自哪里？(Nǐ láizì nǎlǐ?) Where do you come from?
B: 我来自泰国清迈。(Wǒ láizì Tàiguó Qīngmài.) I come from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

你是哪国人？(Nǐ shì nǎ guórén?)

It’s used when asking about someone’s nationality rather than their specific region or city. “Which country are you from?”

e.g.

A: 你是哪国人？(Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?) Which country are you from?
B: 我是美国人。(Wǒ shì Měiguó rén.) I’m American.

A: 你是哪国人？(Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?) Which country are you from?
B: 我是日本人。(Wǒ shì Rìběn rén.) I’m Japanese.

你的老家是哪？(Nǐ de lǎojiā shì nǎ?)

老家 (lǎojiā) refers to one’s hometown or ancestral home. It is typically used to ask where a person’s family roots are or where they originally come from. This expression is often used when someone has moved away or when their family has roots in a different place than where they live now.

e.g.

A: 你的老家是哪？(Nǐ de lǎojiā shì nǎ?) Where is your hometown?
B: 我的老家是四川。(Wǒ de lǎojiā shì Sìchuān.) My hometown is Sichuan.

A: 你的老家是哪？(Nǐ de lǎojiā shì nǎ?) Where is your hometown?
B: 我的老家在贵州的一个小村庄。(Wǒ de lǎojiā zài Guìzhōu de yīgè xiǎo cūnzhuāng.) My hometown is in a small village in Guizhou

你的家乡在哪？(Nǐ de jiāxiāng zài nǎ?)

家乡 (jiāxiāng) refers to one’s hometown or native place. It is often used to refer to where a person was born or where their family has lived for generations. This is a common and slightly more formal way to ask where someone is from.

e.g.

A: 你的家乡在哪？(Nǐ de jiāxiāng zài nǎ?) Where is your hometown?
B: 我的家乡在马来西亚的吉隆坡，中国的东南边。(Wǒ de jiāxiāng zài Mǎláixīyà de Jílóngpō, zhōngguó de dōngnán bian.) My hometown is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, southeast of China.

A: 你的家乡在哪？(Nǐ de jiāxiāng zài nǎ?) Where is your hometown?
B: 我的家乡在东北的一个小县城。(Wǒ de jiāxiāng zài dōngběi de yīgè xiǎo xiànchéng.) My hometown is a small county town in the northeast.

你是哪个地方的？ (Nǐ shì nǎge dìfāng de?)

This is a more informal way of asking where someone is from and focuses on place or region. It’s often used in more casual conversations.

e.g.
A: 你是哪个地方的？(Nǐ shì nǎge dìfāng de?) Which place are you from?
B: 我是广东人。(Wǒ shì Guǎngdōng rén.) I’m from Guangdong.

A: 你是哪个地方的？(Nǐ shì nǎge dìfāng de?) Which place are you from?
B: 我是山东青岛的。(Wǒ shì shāndōng qīngdǎo de.) I am from Qingdao, Shandong.

你是哪里出生的？ (Nǐ shì nǎlǐ chūshēng de?)

“Where were you born?” This version asks about birthplace rather than simply where someone is from, typically used to inquire about a person’s origin.

e.g.
A: 你是哪里出生的？(Nǐ shì nǎlǐ chūshēng de?) Where were you born?
B: 我在武汉出生。(Wǒ zài Wǔhàn chūshēng.) I was born in Wuhan.

A: 你是哪里出生的？(Nǐ shì nǎlǐ chūshēng de?) Where were you born?
B: 我在上海出生的。(Wǒ zài Shànghǎi chūshēng de.) I was born in Shanghai.

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