Meaning
To state one's country or region of origin.
Cultural Background
Germans often identify strongly with their 'Bundesland' (federal state). Don't be surprised if someone says 'Ich komme aus Bayern' instead of 'Ich komme aus Deutschland'. In Switzerland, people might specify their 'Kanton'. Because Switzerland is multilingual, 'Ich komme aus...' is the German way, but they might also use French or Italian depending on the region. Many people in Germany have a 'Migrationshintergrund' (migration background). They might say 'Ich komme aus Berlin, aber meine Eltern kommen aus {der|f} Türkei.'
The Article Rule
Memorize the 5-6 countries that need articles (Schweiz, Türkei, USA, Niederlande, Iran, Irak). For everything else, just use 'aus' + Name.
Don't use 'von'
Even though 'from' is often 'von', for your hometown, it is always 'aus'.
Meaning
To state one's country or region of origin.
The Article Rule
Memorize the 5-6 countries that need articles (Schweiz, Türkei, USA, Niederlande, Iran, Irak). For everything else, just use 'aus' + Name.
Don't use 'von'
Even though 'from' is often 'von', for your hometown, it is always 'aus'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct dative article for the country.
Ich komme aus ___ Schweiz.
'Schweiz' is feminine, and 'aus' requires the dative case. 'Die' becomes 'der'.
Which sentence is correct for stating origin?
Choose the best option:
'Aus' is the specific preposition for geographical origin.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Woher kommst du? B: Ich ___ aus Italien.
The verb must be conjugated for the first person singular 'Ich'.
Match the country with its correct 'aus' form.
Match them:
This tests knowledge of countries that require articles.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesIch komme aus ___ Schweiz.
'Schweiz' is feminine, and 'aus' requires the dative case. 'Die' becomes 'der'.
Choose the best option:
'Aus' is the specific preposition for geographical origin.
A: Woher kommst du? B: Ich ___ aus Italien.
The verb must be conjugated for the first person singular 'Ich'.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
This tests knowledge of countries that require articles.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
3 questionsYes, it is very common and slightly more informal than 'Ich komme aus...'.
It's a grammatical quirk. Most countries are neuter and don't use articles, but feminine, masculine, or plural ones do.
It is 'aus den USA' because USA is plural and 'aus' takes the dative plural.
Related Phrases
Ich bin ...-er/in
similarI am [Nationality]
Ich wohne in...
builds onI live in...
Ich stamme aus...
specialized formI descend from...
