How to say "where are you from?" in Modern Standard Arabic
مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ؟
min ayna anta?
- Without tashkeel
- من أين أنت؟
- Franco / chat alphabet
- min ayna anta?
- Literally
- from where you
When to use it
The standard way to ask someone's origin, here addressed to a man. Only the pronoun changes: anta for a man, anti for a woman, antum for a group. It is one of the first questions asked of any foreigner speaking Arabic, and is friendly rather than intrusive.
Other ways to say it
to a woman
مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتِ؟
min ayna anti?
Where are you from?
Use when asking a woman.
to a group
مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتُمْ؟
min ayna antum?
Where are you from?
Use when asking several people.
asking the country
مَا بَلَدُكَ؟
ma baladuka?
What is your country?
A direct alternative, common in classrooms.
official
مَا جِنْسِيَّتُكَ؟
ma jinsiyyatuka?
What is your nationality?
The wording used at borders and on forms.
How people reply
أَنَا مِنْ مِصْرَ
ana min misra
I am from Egypt.
أَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِيكَا
ana min amrika
I am from America.
أَنَا مِنْ لُبْنَانَ، وَأَنْتَ؟
ana min lubnana, wa-anta?
I am from Lebanon, and you?
In a sentence
مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي؟
min ayna anta ya sayyidi?
Where are you from, sir?
لُغَتُكَ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ جَيِّدَةٌ، مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ؟
lughatuka al-3arabiyyatu jayyidatun, min ayna anta?
Your Arabic is good, where are you from?
مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتِ فِي الْأَصْلِ؟
min ayna anti fi al-asli?
Where are you from originally?