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How to Say ‘I am from abroad’ in Simplified Chinese

我是外国人

wǒ shì wài guó rén

[waw shir why-gwaw-ren]

🇨🇳 In China: This is understandable, but it can sound a bit stiff or over-broad in everyday situations. In China, people more often say their country directly, like [我是英国人] or [我从美国来的].

Phrase Breakdown

[waw]

I; me

我 is the first-person pronoun used to introduce yourself.

Example

我是外国人,也会说一点中文。

I am a foreigner, and I can also speak a little Chinese.

shì

[shir]

to be

是 links a subject and identity, like 'am/is/are' in English.

Example

我是老师。

I am a teacher.

外国人

wài guó rén

[why-gwaw-ren]

foreigner

外国人 means a person from another country; a foreigner.

Example

他是外国人,但住在北京。

He is a foreigner, but he lives in Beijing.

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