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How to Say ‘Where are you from?’ in Japanese

どこから来ましたか？

doko kara ki mashi ta ka

[doko kara kee mah-shee tah ka]

💬 Usage Tip: Literally this is "Where did you come from?" Japanese uses past-tense 来ました "came" to ask where someone is from.

Phrase Breakdown

どこから

doko kara

from where

'doko' means where, and 'kara' means from. Say both words as one smooth unit: 'doko-kara'.

Example

どこから来ましたか？

Where did you come from?

Words in this phrase

どこ

doko

[doko]

where

A question word asking about a place or location.

Example

どこに行きますか？

Where are you going?

から

kara

[kara]

from

Shows the starting point in a range, such as from row 1.

Example

一列目から五列目まで売り切れです。

From the first row to the fifth row is sold out.

来ましたか？

ki mashi ta ka

did (you) come?

'kimashita' is the polite past of 'kuru' (to come), and 'ka' makes it a question. The 'i' in 'shi' is soft: 'kimash'ta ka'.

Example

いつ来ましたか？

When did you come?

Words in this phrase

来

[kee]

come

From 来る, meaning 'to come.' Used when thanking someone for attending.

Example

会場に来てくれてありがとう。

Thank you for coming to the venue.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending in a verb phrase.

Example

昨日は多くのことを学びました。

I learned many things yesterday.

た

[tah]

past tense ending

This ending completes the polite past tense form.

Example

空席がございました。

There were vacant seats.

か

[ka]

question particle

Used to create a yes/no question in informal speech.

Example

行くか？

Shall we go?

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