Where Are You From In Korean

Learning how to ask and answer ‘Where are you from?’ in Korean is essential for Korean language learners. One of the most common questions foreigners get asked when visiting Korea is ‘Where are you from?’. In this lesson, you will learn how to say ‘Where are you from’ in Korean and how to answer this question.

How To Ask ‘Where Are You From?’ In Korean

Where are you from in Korean is 어디에서 왔어요? [eo-di-e-seo wa-sseo-yo?]. This expression is made up of 어디 (where), 에서 (a location marking particle which in this context translates as ‘from’), and the verb 오다 (to come) conjugated in the past tense. So, ‘어디에서 왔어요?‘ literally means ‘Where did you come from?’ and is used when you want to say ‘Where are you from?’ in Korean.

How To Answer ‘Where Are You From?’ In Korean

Now that you know how to ask ‘Where are you from?’ in Korean, you probably want to know how to answer. If someone asks you 어디에서 왔어요? [eo-di-e-seo wa-sseo-yo?] you can answer by saying your country name in Korean followed by ~에서 왔어요 [e-seo wa-sseo-yo]. Here are some examples:

English	Korean	Listen
Where are you from?	어디에서 왔어요? [eo-di-e-seo wa-sseo-yo?]
(I’m) from England.	영국에서 왔어요. [yeong-gu-ge-seo wa-sseo-yo]
(I’m) from America.	미국에서 왔어요. [mi-gu-ge-seo wa-sseo-yo]
(I’m) from China.	중국에서 왔어요. [jung-gu-ge-seo wa-sseo-yo]
(I’m) from Vietnam.	베트남에서 왔어요. [be-teu-na-me-seo wa-sseo-yo]
(I’m) from The Philipinnes.	필리핀에서 왔어요. [pil-li-pi-ne-seo wa-sseo-yo]

As you can see, in the above examples, the pronoun I (저는) has been dropped. It is common in Korean to drop pronouns, especially if it is clear from the context who you are talking about. When you answer someone when they ask ‘Where are you from?’ in Korean, it is clear from the context that your answer is going to be about you, so there is no need to add 저는.

However, if it is not clear from the context, or you are making a statement about where you are from, rather than responding to a question, you can add 저는 to make it clear you are talking about yourself (e.g. 저는 영국에서 왔어요).

Other Ways To Ask ‘Where Are You From?’ In Korean

While 어디에서 왔어요? [eo-di-e-seo wa-sseo-yo?] is the most common way to say ‘Where are you from?’ in Korean, there are other similar expressions you may be asked when someone wants to know where you are from.

English	Korean	Listen
Where are you from? (Literally ‘which country person are you?’)	어느 나라 사람이에요? [eo-neu na-ra sa-ra-mi-e-yo?]
(I’m) from England. / I am English.	영국 사람이에요. [yeong-guk sa-ram-i-e-yo]
Where’s your hometown?	고향이 어디예요? [go-hyang-i eo-di-ye-yo?]
London, England.	제 고향은 런던이에요. [je-go-hyang-eun leon-deo-ni-e-yo]