Countries and Nationalities

The English word “nationality” is not used

very often in everyday conversation. It is a more formal word that is more often seen in written form in documents related to immigration or tourism.

·         Almost no one will ask “What is your nationality” in a normal conversation.

·         Instead, you might hear “Where are you from?” or “Where do you come from?”

·         You can answer this way: “I’m (Ukrainian, American, Mexican, etc.).”

·         Or: “I am from (Ukraine, America, Poland, etc.).”

Today we invite you to learn the names of nationalities in English, as well as the countries they originate and the language that is spoken there.

Nationalities

Forming nationality adjectives and nouns from country names is not always simple in English. Use the nationality adjective ending in -ese or -ish with a plural verb, to refer to all people of that nationality. The adjective listed also often refers to the language spoken in the country, although this is not always the case.

Examples

·         Country: I live in Japan.

·         Adjective: He likes Japanese food.

·         Origins: She is a Japanese person. = She is from Japan. = She is Japanese.

·         Language: She speaks Japanese.

·         Describing a group: Spaniards often drink wine. = Spanish people often drink wine.

·         Describing a group: The Chinese enjoy fireworks. = Chinese people enjoy fireworks.

Catchy English is good for you