Learn Countries and Nationalities in English (Pre-A1)

Raúl Maguiña

Fondateur de Langcom | Examinateur pour les examens de Cambridge et du SIELE

juillet 22, 2026

PRÉ-A1📚 Vocabulaire⏱️ 3 min read
To talk about where people are from, we use country names and nationality words. These words help us say “I am from Spain” et “I am Spanish.” Learning them is important for introducing yourself and understanding others. Countries are places like Mexico ou Japan. Nationalities are words that describe people from those countries, like Mexican ou Japanese. Most nationality words are adjectives, so they describe a noun. For example, “a Spanish person” ou “Mexican food.” Always capitalize both country names and nationality words in English.

What Are Countries and Nationalities?

Countries are names of places. They are geographical areas with their own governments.

  • Examples: Brazil, China, Spain.

Nationalities are words that describe people from those countries. They tell us where a person is from.

  • Examples: Brazilian, Chinese, Spanish.

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How Do We Use Countries and Nationalities in Sentences?

We use countries and nationalities to talk about origin. This is very useful when you meet new people.

  • Use “I am from + Country” to say your origin.
  • Exemple : I am from Colombia.
  • Use “I am + Nationality” to state your nationality.
  • Exemple : I am Colombian.

You can also ask others:

  • Where are you from?
  • What is your nationality?

Why Are Countries and Nationalities Important?

Knowing these words helps you introduce yourself and understand others. It is a basic part of conversation.

  • You can tell people about yourself: I am from Mexico. I am Mexican.
  • You can understand where other people live or were born.
  • This vocabulary is essential for travel and making new friends.
Common Countries and Their Nationalities
Country Nationality
Spain Spanish
Mexico Mexican
United States American
United Kingdom British
Brazil Brazilian
China Chinese
Japan Japanese
Russia Russian
Colombia Colombian

Exemples

  • She is from the United States. She is American.
  • He is from Japan. He is Japanese.
  • They are from Brazil. They are Brazilian.
  • Are you from China? Are you Chinese?
  • I am from Mexico. I am Mexican.
  • We are from the United Kingdom. We are British.

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Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones

Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:

  • Not capitalizing country names and nationalities: In English, these words are always capitalized.
  • WRONG: i am spanish.
  • RIGHT: I am Spanish.
  • WRONG: she is from mexico.
  • RIGHT: She is from Mexico.
  • Using “the” before a nationality when talking about one person: We do not use “the” with a single person’s nationality.
  • WRONG: I am the Spanish.
  • RIGHT: I am Spanish.
  • (We use “the” for groups, like “the Spanish people” ou “the British”, but not for a single person’s nationality.)

Questions fréquemment posées

What is the difference between a country and a nationality?

A country is a place, like Spain. A nationality is a word that describes a person from that country, like Spanish.

Do I always capitalize countries and nationalities?

Yes, always capitalize both country names (e.g., Colombia) and nationality words (e.g., Colombian) in English.

How do I ask someone where they are from?

You can ask: “Where are you from?” ou “What is your nationality?”

Leçons associées

À propos de l'auteur : Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña est le directeur de l'Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centre agréé de préparation à l'examen Cambridge English situé à ÉTATS-UNIS. Fort de plus d'une décennie d'expérience dans l'enseignement des langues et les certifications internationales, il a aidé des milliers d'étudiants, d'enseignants et d'établissements d'enseignement dans 25 pays à obtenir les certifications d'anglais Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL et Michigan.

En savoir plus sur le Langcom →

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