Countries and Nationalities in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn the names of 28 countries in English and the word for the people from each country. Next to each country is its nationality: Spain → Spanish. In English, countries and nationalities always start with a capital letter. Read the examples, then do the exercises.
The Americas
MexicoMexican
I'm from Mexico. I'm Mexican.
the USAAmerican
They are from the USA. They are American.
CanadaCanadian
She is from Canada. She is Canadian.
BrazilBrazilian
Are you from Brazil? Are you Brazilian?
ArgentinaArgentinian
We are from Argentina. We are Argentinian.
ColombiaColombian
He is from Colombia. He is Colombian.
PeruPeruvian
Is she from Peru? Yes, she is Peruvian.
ChileChilean
I'm not from Chile. I'm not Chilean.
VenezuelaVenezuelan
They are from Venezuela. They are Venezuelan.
Europe
SpainSpanish
She is from Spain. She is Spanish.
PortugalPortuguese
He is from Portugal. He is Portuguese.
FranceFrench
We are from France. We are French.
GermanyGerman
Are they from Germany? Are they German?
ItalyItalian
I'm from Italy. I'm Italian.
the UKBritish
He is from the UK. He is British.
IrelandIrish
You are from Ireland. You are Irish.
RussiaRussian
She is from Russia. She is Russian.
Asia
ChinaChinese
They are from China. They are Chinese.
JapanJapanese
Is he from Japan? Yes, he is Japanese.
South KoreaSouth Korean
We are from South Korea. We are South Korean.
IndiaIndian
I'm from India. I'm Indian.
VietnamVietnamese
She is from Vietnam. She is Vietnamese.
TurkeyTurkish
He is from Turkey. He is Turkish.
Africa and Oceania
EgyptEgyptian
They are from Egypt. They are Egyptian.
MoroccoMoroccan
Are you from Morocco? Are you Moroccan?
NigeriaNigerian
She is from Nigeria. She is Nigerian.
South AfricaSouth African
We are from South Africa. We are South African.
AustraliaAustralian
He is from Australia. He is Australian.
Practice exercises
Match the Countries and Nationalities
Click a country, then click its nationality.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct country or nationality.
9.She is from Italy. She is ___.
10.I'm from ___. I'm Chinese.
11.They are from France. They are ___.
12.He is from the USA. He is ___.
13.He is from Russia. He is ___.
14.We are from ___. We are Turkish.
Write the Country or Nationality
Write the missing country or nationality.
True or False
Decide if each sentence is true or false.
21.People from the UK are British.
22.'They are Frenchs.' is correct English.
23.'Chinese' is a country.
24.'I am spanish.' is correct English.
Countries and nationalities in English: how to say where you are from
Where are you from? It is one of the first questions for a new friend. In English, the answer is easy: say the country (I'm from Brazil) or the nationality (I'm Brazilian). Both are correct and very common.
Many nationalities end in -an or -ian: Mexican, American, Brazilian, Italian, Australian. Others end in -ese: Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Vietnamese. Some end in -ish: Spanish, British, Irish, Turkish. And some are different: France and French, Germany and German. Learn these in pairs, country and nationality together.
Two small rules help a lot. First, countries and nationalities always start with a capital letter in English, even in the middle of a sentence. Second, a nationality adjective after am, is or are stays the same for one or many people: I am Spanish, they are Spanish.
This is a good first vocabulary page because it uses the grammar from unit 1: I, you, he, she, we, they and the verb to be. Read the examples, match the countries with the nationalities, and then try the exercises above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I say where I am from in English?
Use I'm from + the country: I'm from Mexico. Or use the nationality: I'm Mexican. To ask, say Where are you from? or Are you from Spain?
Do nationalities start with a capital letter in English?
Yes, always. Write I'm Spanish, not I'm spanish. Countries start with a capital letter too: Spain, Brazil, Japan. This is different from Spanish and Portuguese, where nationalities are written with a small letter.
Is it They are French or They are Frenchs?
They are French. After am, is or are, a nationality adjective stays the same for one or many people: she is French, they are French. A nationality can also be a noun: two Americans.
What is the difference between British and English?
The UK is four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. People from all of the UK are British. English is only for people from England, so a person from Scotland is British, but not English.
Is a nationality the same word as a language?
Often, yes: Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese can name a nationality and a language. But not always. Mexican is a nationality, while Spanish is the main language in Mexico. Brazilian is a nationality, while Portuguese is the main language in Brazil.
Why do we say the USA and the UK?
Their full names are the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Names with words like States or Kingdom take the. Most countries do not: Spain, Mexico, Japan.
Answer key
1. Spain
Answer: Spanish
People from Spain are Spanish.
2. Mexico
Answer: Mexican
People from Mexico are Mexican.
3. Brazil
Answer: Brazilian
People from Brazil are Brazilian.
4. Japan
Answer: Japanese
People from Japan are Japanese.
5. France
Answer: French
People from France are French.
6. the USA
Answer: American
People from the USA are American.
7. the UK
Answer: British
People from the UK are British.
8. Germany
Answer: German
People from Germany are German.
9. She is from Italy. She is ___.
Answer: Italian
Italy is the country. People from Italy are Italian.
10. I'm from ___. I'm Chinese.
Answer: China
After from, we use the country. Chinese people are from China.
11. They are from France. They are ___.
Answer: French
After are, French is a nationality adjective. It stays French with they; Frenchs is not a word.
12. He is from the USA. He is ___.
Answer: American
People from the USA are American. Use American with he, not Americans.
13. He is from Russia. He is ___.
Answer: Russian
Nationalities start with a capital letter in English: Russian, not russian.
14. We are from ___. We are Turkish.
Answer: Turkey
After from, we use the country. Turkish people are from Turkey.
15. I'm from Germany. I'm ___.
Answer: German
People from Germany are German.
16. He is from Portugal. He is ___.
Answer: Portuguese
People from Portugal are Portuguese.
17. They are from Argentina. They are ___.
Answer: Argentinian
People from Argentina are Argentinian. Argentine is correct too. No plural -s.
18. She is Japanese. She is from ___.
Answer: Japan
After from, we use the country: Japanese people are from Japan.
19. We are Canadian. We are from ___.
Answer: Canada
After from, we use the country: Canadian people are from Canada.
20. You are from Colombia. You are ___.
Answer: Colombian
People from Colombia are Colombian. Colombia is spelled with an o, not Columbia.
21. People from the UK are British.
Answer: True
The UK is the country, and British is the nationality.
22. 'They are Frenchs.' is correct English.
Answer: False
French is an adjective after are, so it stays French: They are French. Frenchs is not a word.
23. 'Chinese' is a country.
Answer: False
Chinese is a nationality. The country is China.
24. 'I am spanish.' is correct English.
Answer: False
Nationalities always start with a capital letter: I am Spanish.