Dialogue 3: Asking Someone's Nationality
In the previous dialogue, we learned how to confirm other's name. Using the same noun sentence pattern, you can ask someone if s/he is a Japanese. (Note that this conversation starts rather abruptly with a question on someone's nationality. This may be perceived as too impolite in some cases.)
Grammar
See Grammar Notes for Dialogue 3.
Key Vocabulary
1. にほんじん Japanese person/people [nationality]
Key Vocabulary
1. にほん
にっぽん		 Japan にほんじん
にっぽんじん		 Japanese person/people [nationality]
2. アメリカ America (commonly, U.S.A.) アメリカじん American person/people [nationality]
3. フランス France フランスじん French person/people [nationality]
4. ドイツ Germany ドイツじん German person/people [nationality]
5. イギリス U.K. イギリスじん British person/people [nationality]
6. スペイン Spain スペインじん Spanish person/people [nationality]
7. メキシコ Mexico メキシコじん Mexican person/people [nationality]
8. ロシア Russia ロシアじん Russian person/people [nationality]
9. カナダ Canada カナダじん Canadian person/people [nationality]
10. かんこく Korea かんこくじん Korean person/people [nationality]
11. ちゅうごく China ちゅうごくじん Chinese person/people [nationality]
12. がいこく foreign country がい（こく）じん foreigner
13. くに country なにじん what nationality?
14. [インド] India [インドじん] Indian person/people [nationality]
15. [たいわん] Taiwan [たいわんじん] Taiwanese person/people [nationality]
16. [イタリア] Italy [イタリアじん] Italian person/people [nationality]
17. [オーストラリア] Australia [オーストラリアじん] Australian person/people [nationality]
18. [ニュージーランド] New Zealand [ニュージーランドじん] New Zealanders [nationality]
19. [ベトナム] Vietnam [ベトナムじん] Vietnamese person/people [nationality]
English
A: Excuse me. Are you a Japanese?
B: Yes, I am. (Lit. "That's right.")
A: I'm Tamura. How do you do? Nice to meet you.
B: I'm Kondo. How do you do? Nice to meet you.
Culture

1.

Japanese say their family name first followed by their given name (e.g., "Ono Yoko"). Commonly, there is no middle name. When they give their name to Westerners, they usually follow the English pattern: given name + family name (e.g., "Yoko Ono").
2.

Although there are exceptions, women's names are more likely to have two to three syllables while men's names are more likely to have three to four syllables. Traditional women's names end with "ko" at the end, but there are many names that don't follow this tradition.