Meaning
Used to state one's country of origin.
Cultural Background
Germans value regional identity. If someone is from Bavaria, they might say 'Ich komme aus Bayern' before they say 'Ich komme aus Deutschland'. In Austria, people are very proud of their specific {das|n} Bundesland (federal state). Mentioning your specific city is common. In international cities like Berlin, 'Ich komme aus...' is often followed by '...aber ich lebe seit fünf Jahren hier' to show integration.
City vs. Country
You can use the same structure for both! 'Ich komme aus Paris' works just as well as 'Ich komme aus Frankreich'.
The 'Dative' Trap
Remember that if your country has an article, it MUST change to Dative. 'Die Schweiz' becomes 'der Schweiz'.
Meaning
Used to state one's country of origin.
City vs. Country
You can use the same structure for both! 'Ich komme aus Paris' works just as well as 'Ich komme aus Frankreich'.
The 'Dative' Trap
Remember that if your country has an article, it MUST change to Dative. 'Die Schweiz' becomes 'der Schweiz'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'kommen'.
Ich ___ aus Italien.
The subject 'Ich' requires the verb ending '-e'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct for Switzerland?
Select the correct origin statement:
'Aus' requires the Dative case, and 'Schweiz' is feminine, so 'die' becomes 'der'.
Match the country to the correct prepositional phrase.
Match these:
Deutschland has no article; USA and Niederlande are plural; Türkei is feminine.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Woher kommst du? B: ___ ___ aus Japan.
The speaker is answering about themselves.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Countries with and without Articles
No Article
- • Deutschland
- • Spanien
- • China
- • Frankreich
With Article (Dative)
- • der Schweiz
- • der Türkei
- • den USA
- • dem Iran
Practice Bank
4 exercisesIch ___ aus Italien.
The subject 'Ich' requires the verb ending '-e'.
Select the correct origin statement:
'Aus' requires the Dative case, and 'Schweiz' is feminine, so 'die' becomes 'der'.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Deutschland has no article; USA and Niederlande are plural; Türkei is feminine.
A: Woher kommst du? B: ___ ___ aus Japan.
The speaker is answering about themselves.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
3 questionsYes, it is common in casual speech, but 'Ich komme aus' is more formal and safer for beginners.
Common ones include: die Schweiz, die Türkei, die Ukraine, die USA (pl), die Niederlande (pl), der Irak, der Iran.
No, for an address use 'Ich wohne in der [Straße]'. 'Aus' is for the broader origin.
Related Phrases
Ich stamme aus...
similarI descend from / I am originally from
Ich wohne in...
builds onI live in...
Woher kommst du?
contrastWhere do you come from?
