How to Say ‘I came from America.’ in Japanese
アメリカから来ました。
amerika kara ki mashi ta
[ah-meh-ree-kah kah-rah kee mah-shee tah]
💬 Usage Tip: Natural pattern: [場所] + [から] + [来ました]. For “I’m originally from…,” try [アメリカ出身です].
🇯🇵 In Japan: If you say this in an interview, consider adding how long you’ve been in Japan—employers often wonder about stability.
Phrase Breakdown
アメリカ
amerika
[ah-meh-ree-kah]
America / the United States
Identifies origin. Often paired with から and 来ました in introductions.
アメリカから来ましたと自己紹介で言いました。
I said “I came from America” in my self-introduction.
から
kara
[kah-rah]
From
Marks the origin point: アメリカから = “from America.”
アメリカから東京に引っ越しました。
I moved from America to Tokyo.
来ました
ki mashi ta
came
Past polite form of 来る (くる): “came.” Often used for “I came from ~.”
昨日日本に来ました。
I came to Japan yesterday.
Words in this phrase
来
ki
[kee]
Came (verb root part)
来 is the kanji for 来る (くる). In 来ました it’s read as き (ki).
アメリカから来ましたと落ち着いて言います。
I calmly say, “I came from America.”
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
(polite past stem part)
まし is part of ました, the polite past form used in formal speech.
面接では来ましたのましを丁寧に言います。
In interviews, I say the “mashi” in “kimashita” politely.
た
ta
[tah]
(past marker)
た completes the polite past ending ました, indicating a completed past action.
来ましたのたは短く発音します。
I pronounce the “ta” in “kimashita” briefly.
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