Countries, Nationalities and Languages


There are two possible ways to learn someone’s place of birth.

Formal: What’s your nationality?

The word "nationality" usually appears in formal written English; for example in travel industry.

Note: though we use the word "nationality" in formal question forms, the answer doesn't include it.

We don’t say my nationality is American.
Instead, we say I’m American.
Informal: Where are you from?

This is a more common way in spoken English.

Note:

Both in written and spoken English there are two ways to tell your place of birth.

To be + from + country
I am from England.

To be + Nationality
I am English.


Below you will find a useful chart giving a list of countries, nationalities and the common spoken language(s) in that country.

CountryNationalityLanguage
AfghanistanAfghanPersian
ArgentinaArgentineanSpanish
AustraliaAustralianEnglish
BelgiumBelgianFrench / Flemish
BoliviaBolivianSpanish
BrazilBrazilianPortuguese
CambodiaCambodianKhmer
CameroonCameroonianFrench / English
CanadaCanadianEnglish / French
ChileChileanSpanish
ChinaChineseChinese
ColombiaColombianSpanish
Costa RicaCosta RicanSpanish
CubaCubanSpanish
DenmarkDanish (Dane)Danish
Dominican RepublicDominicanSpanish
EcuadorEcuadorianSpanish
EgyptEgyptianArabic
El SalvadorSalvadorianSpanish
EnglandEnglishEnglish
EstoniaEstonianEstonian
EthiopiaEthiopianAmharic
FinlandFinnishFinnish
FranceFrenchFrench
GermanyGermanGerman
GhanaGhanaianEnglish
GreeceGreekGreek
GuatemalaGuatemalanSpanish
HaitiHaitianFrench / Creole
HondurasHonduranSpanish
IndonesiaIndonesianIndonesian
IranIranian / PersianPersian
IrelandIrishIrish / English
IsraelIsraeliHebrew
ItalyItalianItalian
JapanJapaneseJapanese
JordanJordanianArabic
KenyaKenyanSwahili
KoreaKoreanKorean
LaosLaotianLaotian
LatviaLatvianLatvian
LithuaniaLithuanianLithuanian
MalaysiaMalaysianMalay / Malaysian
MexicoMexicanSpanish
MoroccoMoroccanArabic / French
NetherlandsDutchDutch
New ZealandNew ZealanderEnglish / Maori
NicaraguaNicaraguanSpanish
NorwayNorwegianNorwegian
PanamaPanamanianSpanish
ParaguayParaguayanSpanish
PeruPeruvianSpanish
PhilippinesFilipinoTagalong / Filipino
PolandPolishPolish
PortugalPortuguesePortuguese
Puerto RicoPuerto RicanSpanish
RomaniaRomanianRomanian
RussiaRussianRussian
Saudi ArabiaSaudiArabic
SpainSpanishSpanish
Sri LankaSri LankanSinhala
SwedenSwedishSwedish
SwitzerlandSwissGerman/Swiss
TaiwanTaiwaneseChinese
TajikistanTajikTajik (Persian)
ThailandThaiThai
TurkeyTurkish / TurkTurkish
UkraineUkrainianUkrainian
United StatesAmericanEnglish
UruguayUruguayanSpanish
VenezuelaVenezuelanSpanish
VietnamVietnameseVietnamese
WalesWelshWelsh / English

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