Countries and Nationalities in English: Words, Examples and Quiz
Turkey and Turkish, Japan and Japanese, Brazil and Brazilian: learn how to say where people come from, grouped by the ending of each nationality word, with pronunciation, Turkish translations and real example sentences.
51 words · By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Tap to hear a word. Pronunciation is American English. Levels follow the CEFR scale. Turkish translations are given as a quick check.
Nationalities ending in -ish
Each headword below is the nationality adjective; the definition names the country. For most of these countries, the language has the same name as the nationality: Turkish people speak Turkish. Say the country and the nationality together: Spain, Spanish.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
Turkish ⁄ˈtɝːkɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from Türkiye (Turkey); also the language people speak there I'm from Türkiye. I'm Turkish. | Türk; Türkçe |
British ⁄ˈbrɪtɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from the United Kingdom (the UK): England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland She lives in London, but she isn't British. She's Polish. | İngiliz, Britanyalı |
English ⁄ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from England, one part of the UK; also the language My teacher is English. He's from Manchester. | İngiliz; İngilizce |
Scottish ⁄ˈskɑːtɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from Scotland, in the north of the UK Edinburgh is a beautiful Scottish city. | İskoç |
Irish ⁄ˈaɪrɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from Ireland My Irish friend lives in Dublin. | İrlandalı |
Spanish ⁄ˈspænɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from Spain; also the language of Spain and most of Latin America Spanish food is famous all over the world. | İspanyol; İspanyolca |
Polish ⁄ˈpoʊlɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from Poland; also the language people speak there Marta is Polish. She comes from Kraków. | Polonyalı; Lehçe |
Swedish ⁄ˈswiːdɪʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from Sweden; also the language people speak there He's Swedish, so he's used to cold winters. | İsveçli; İsveççe |
Danish ⁄ˈdeɪnɪʃ⁄ · adjective A2 | from Denmark; also the language people speak there Copenhagen is the Danish capital. | Danimarkalı; Danca |
Nationalities ending in -an or -ian
This is the biggest group. Often you just add -an or -ian to the country, but the spelling and stress can change: Italy, Italian; Canada, Canadian. Listen to where the strong syllable moves.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
American ⁄əˈmerɪkən⁄ · adjective A1 | from the United States of America (the US, the USA) My cousin married an American man from Texas. | Amerikalı |
Canadian ⁄kəˈneɪdiən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Canada Canadian winters are very long. | Kanadalı |
Mexican ⁄ˈmeksɪkən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Mexico Let's go to that Mexican restaurant tonight. | Meksikalı |
Brazilian ⁄brəˈzɪliən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Brazil Brazilian people speak Portuguese, not Spanish. | Brezilyalı |
Argentinian ⁄ˌɑːrdʒənˈtɪniən⁄ · adjective A2 | from Argentina; American English often says Argentine Our new coach is Argentinian. | Arjantinli |
Italian ⁄ɪˈtæliən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Italy; also the language people speak there I'm learning Italian because I love Italian films. | İtalyan; İtalyanca |
German ⁄ˈdʒɝːmən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Germany; also the language people speak there Many German cars are made in Munich and Stuttgart. | Alman; Almanca |
Russian ⁄ˈrʌʃən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Russia; also the language people speak there Russian uses a different alphabet from English. | Rus; Rusça |
Ukrainian ⁄juːˈkreɪniən⁄ · adjective A2 | from Ukraine; also the language people speak there Our neighbors are Ukrainian. They moved here last year. | Ukraynalı; Ukraynaca |
Australian ⁄ɔːˈstreɪliən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Australia She has a strong Australian accent. | Avustralyalı |
Korean ⁄kəˈriːən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Korea, usually South Korea; also the language people speak there Korean dramas are very popular in Türkiye. | Koreli; Korece |
Indian ⁄ˈɪndiən⁄ · adjective A1 | from India I love spicy Indian food. | Hintli, Hint |
Iranian ⁄ɪˈrɑːniən⁄ · adjective A2 | from Iran; the main language there is Persian (also called Farsi) My Iranian friend speaks Persian and English. | İranlı |
Egyptian ⁄iˈdʒɪpʃən⁄ · adjective A1 | from Egypt We saw the pyramids and ate Egyptian bread. | Mısırlı |
Moroccan ⁄məˈrɑːkən⁄ · adjective A2 | from Morocco, in North Africa We bought a Moroccan rug in Marrakesh. | Faslı |
Nigerian ⁄naɪˈdʒɪriən⁄ · adjective A2 | from Nigeria, in West Africa Nigerian music is popular around the world. | Nijeryalı |
Nationalities ending in -ese, -i and irregular ones
Words ending in -ese have the stress on the last part: Chi-NESE, Japa-NESE. Words ending in -i are common for countries in the Middle East and South Asia. The last few are irregular, so learn them as pairs.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
Chinese ⁄ˌtʃaɪˈniːz⁄ · adjective A1 | from China; also the language, usually Mandarin There's a good Chinese restaurant near my office. | Çinli; Çince |
Japanese ⁄ˌdʒæpəˈniːz⁄ · adjective A1 | from Japan; also the language people speak there Japanese trains are fast and always on time. | Japon; Japonca |
Vietnamese ⁄viˌetnəˈmiːz⁄ · adjective A2 | from Vietnam; also the language people speak there Vietnamese coffee is strong and sweet. | Vietnamlı; Vietnamca |
Portuguese ⁄ˌpɔːrtʃəˈɡiːz⁄ · adjective A1 | from Portugal; also the language of Portugal and Brazil Lisbon is the Portuguese capital. | Portekizli; Portekizce |
Lebanese ⁄ˌlebəˈniːz⁄ · adjective A2 | from Lebanon Lebanese food has a lot of fresh vegetables. | Lübnanlı |
Pakistani ⁄ˌpækɪˈstæni⁄ · adjective A2 | from Pakistan Many Pakistani people speak Urdu and English. | Pakistanlı |
Iraqi ⁄ɪˈrɑːki⁄ · adjective A2 | from Iraq He's Iraqi, from Baghdad. | Iraklı |
Azerbaijani ⁄ˌæzɚbaɪˈdʒɑːni⁄ · adjective A2 | from Azerbaijan; also the language, which is close to Turkish Azerbaijani and Turkish are similar languages. | Azerbaycanlı; Azerbaycan Türkçesi |
French ⁄frentʃ⁄ · adjective A1 | from France; also the language people speak there She speaks French because her mother is from Paris. | Fransız; Fransızca |
Dutch ⁄dʌtʃ⁄ · adjective A2 | from the Netherlands (also called Holland); also the language Dutch people ride bikes everywhere. | Hollandalı; Felemenkçe |
Greek ⁄ɡriːk⁄ · adjective A1 | from Greece; also the language people speak there We spent a week on a Greek island. | Yunan; Yunanca |
Swiss ⁄swɪs⁄ · adjective A2 | from Switzerland; there is no Swiss language, people speak German, French or Italian Swiss chocolate makes a great present. | İsviçreli |
Thai ⁄taɪ⁄ · adjective A2 | from Thailand; also the language people speak there Thai food can be very spicy. | Taylandlı; Tayca |
Talking about countries and people
Useful words for forms, travel and introducing yourself. Notice that abroad is an adverb: we say go abroad and live abroad, with no to or the.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
country ⁄ˈkʌntri⁄ · noun A1 | an area of land with its own government, like Türkiye or Japan How many countries have you visited? | ülke |
nationality ⁄ˌnæʃəˈnæləti⁄ · noun A1 | the country you legally belong to Write your name and nationality on the form. | milliyet, uyruk |
language ⁄ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ⁄ · noun A1 | the words and grammar that the people of a country use to speak and write She speaks four languages. | dil |
capital ⁄ˈkæpətəl⁄ · noun A2 | the city where a country's government is Ankara is the capital of Türkiye, not Istanbul. | başkent |
citizen ⁄ˈsɪtəzən⁄ · noun B1 | a person who legally belongs to a country and has rights there He became a Canadian citizen in 2020. | vatandaş |
passport ⁄ˈpæspɔːrt⁄ · noun A1 | an official small book that shows your nationality, which you need to travel to other countries Don't forget your passport! | pasaport |
flag ⁄flæɡ⁄ · noun A2 | a piece of cloth with colors and shapes that stands for a country The Turkish flag is red with a white moon and star. | bayrak |
border ⁄ˈbɔːrdɚ⁄ · noun B1 | the line between two countries We crossed the border into Georgia by bus. | sınır |
continent ⁄ˈkɑːntɪnənt⁄ · noun A2 | one of the very large areas of land on Earth, like Europe, Asia and Africa Istanbul is on two continents, Europe and Asia. | kıta |
population ⁄ˌpɑːpjəˈleɪʃən⁄ · noun A2 | the number of people who live in a place What's the population of your city? | nüfus |
foreign ⁄ˈfɔːrən⁄ · adjective A2 | from or in a country that is not your own English is the first foreign language most students learn. | yabancı |
abroad ⁄əˈbrɔːd⁄ · adverb A2 | in or to another country My sister lives abroad. She works in Berlin. | yurt dışında, yurt dışına |
native speaker ⁄ˌneɪtɪv ˈspiːkɚ⁄ · phrase B1 | a person who learned a language as a child, as their first language Our teacher is a native speaker of English. | anadili olarak konuşan kişi |
Useful phrases and collocations
be from + country
Where are you from? I'm from Brazil.
speak + language
Do you speak Japanese?
the capital of
Canberra is the capital of Australia.
Turkish food, Italian coffee
We had Turkish food and then Italian coffee.
a Turkish passport
You need a visa with a Turkish passport for some countries.
live abroad, go abroad
I'd love to live abroad for a year.
cross the border
It takes an hour to cross the border.
learn a foreign language
Everyone should learn a foreign language.
dual nationality
She has dual nationality, British and Turkish.
a native speaker of
He's a native speaker of Spanish.
the national team
The national team plays tonight.
an accent
You have a lovely Irish accent.
How to learn these words
Learn nationalities in groups by their ending, not one by one. Make four lists: -ish (Turkish, Spanish), -an or -ian (American, Italian), -ese (Chinese, Japanese) and irregular (French, Dutch, Greek, Swiss). Say each pair out loud, country first: Japan, Japanese. Listen to the stress, because it often moves: ITaly but iTALian, JaPAN and JapaNESE. Review the lists again in a day and in a week.
Use a capital letter for countries, nationalities and languages, even in the middle of a sentence: I speak English and a little German. Use the country after from and the nationality after be: I'm from Türkiye, I'm Turkish. To talk about people, the most natural way is the adjective plus people or person: Turkish people, a Japanese person.
A few country names take the: the United States (the US), the United Kingdom (the UK), the Netherlands, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates. British is the nationality for the whole UK; English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish are the parts. Not every British person is English, so use British when you are not sure.
Turkey asked to be called Türkiye in English in 2022, and international organizations such as the United Nations now use that name. In everyday English you will hear both. The nationality and the language are still Turkish. For a full self-introduction, see common English phrases for beginners.
Use the words: speaking and writing tasks
- Introduce yourself in three sentences with your country, nationality and languages: I'm from Türkiye. I'm Turkish. I speak Turkish and English.
- Make four lists with the headings -ish, -an or -ian, -ese and irregular. Add ten countries you know and say each country and nationality pair out loud.
- Name five products or foods from other countries and describe them: Italian pizza, Swiss watches, Japanese cars.
- Write about a friend or family member who lives abroad or a foreign person you know: where they are from, what language they speak and where they live now.
- Plan a dream trip to three countries. For each one, say its capital, its language and one thing you want to see.
Common mistakes
I am from Turkish.
I am from Türkiye. or I am Turkish.
After from, use the country (a noun). After be, use the nationality (an adjective).
She speaks english and french.
She speaks English and French.
Languages, nationalities and countries always start with a capital letter in English, even though many other languages use small letters.
My teacher is a Chinese.
My teacher is Chinese. or My teacher is a Chinese woman.
Many -an and -ian words are also nouns (an American, an Italian), but -ese and -ish words like Chinese, Japanese and English are not normally used with a for one person. Use the adjective alone, or add a noun like woman or person.
Next year I want to go to abroad.
Next year I want to go abroad.
Abroad is an adverb, like home or there, so it never takes to or the.
Amsterdam is in Netherlands.
Amsterdam is in the Netherlands.
Some country names need the, especially plural names and names with words like United, Kingdom or Republic: the Netherlands, the USA, the UK.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. Akira is from Japan. He's ___.
2. Choose the correct sentence.
3. People from the Netherlands are ___.
4. Which sentence is written correctly?
5. What is the capital of Türkiye?
6. My brother works in Germany. He lives ___.
7. A person from Switzerland is ___.
8. What does nationality mean?
9. Emma is from Scotland. Which sentence is correct?
10. Which nationality is irregular?
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- Japanese
- I'm from Spain.
- Dutch
- I study German.
- Ankara
- abroad
- Swiss
- The country you legally belong to
- She's Scottish and British.
- French
See what the A1 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
Should I say Turkey or Türkiye in English?+
Both are understood. Since 2022 the official English name is Türkiye, and the United Nations and many governments use it, while lots of people and media still say Turkey. The nationality and the language are Turkish in both cases.
Do nationalities need a capital letter in English?+
Yes. Countries, nationalities and languages always start with a capital letter: France, French, a French film. This is different from many other languages, such as French and Spanish, where nationality words use small letters.
What is the difference between British and English?+
English describes people and things from England. British describes the whole United Kingdom, which also includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A person from Wales is Welsh and British, but not English.
How do I ask someone where they are from?+
The most common question is Where are you from? You can also ask What's your nationality? on forms, but in conversation it can sound formal. A friendly follow-up is Which part of the country are you from?
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