How to Say ‘Came / came from’ in Japanese
きました
ki mashi ta
[kee mah-shee tah]
💬 Usage Tip: [きました] is the past polite form of "come." In [アメリカからきました], it naturally means "I came from America."
🇯🇵 In Japan: This phrase is often used by visitors, exchange students, or newcomers. It sounds very common in real introductions.
Phrase Breakdown
き
ki
[kee]
come (stem)
This is the stem of the verb くる, to come. In きました, it forms the polite past came.
きはくるのかたちです。
き is a form of くる.
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
polite verb part
Part of the polite past ending in きました.
ましはていねいないいかたです。
まし is part of a polite way of speaking.
た
ta
[tah]
past tense ending
This final part helps make the verb past tense: came.
たがあるとかこになります。
When た is present, it becomes past tense.
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