Nationalities, Countries, and the People

Introduction

Learning countries and nationalities in English is essential for conversation, travel, exams, and everyday communication. Many learners look for a complete countries and nationalities list, including the languages spoken in each country.

In this lesson, you will find:

• A complete countries, nationalities, and languages list
• How to ask and answer questions about nationality
• A countries and languages list section
• Common mistakes learners make
• Example conversations
• A short quiz to test your knowledge

Let’s get started!

What Is the Difference Between Country and Nationality?

• A country is a nation (for example, Japan, Brazil, Canada).
• A nationality describes the people from that country (Japanese, Brazilian, Canadian).
• A language is what people speak (Japanese, Portuguese, English).

Example:

• Country: Japan
• Nationality: Japanese
• Language: Japanese

How to Ask About Nationality in English

When you’re curious about someone’s nationality, there are several polite ways to ask. Here are some common questions you can use:

1. Where are you from?
2. Which country are you from?
3. What country do you come from?
4. What is your nationality?
5. Are you [nationality]?
6. Where do you come from?

While “Where are you from?” is the most commonly used and natural-sounding question, “What is your nationality?” is also correct but can sound more formal and less conversational. It is less common in everyday conversation but might be used in official contexts, such as on forms or in interviews.

How to Respond to a Question About Nationality

When someone asks you about your nationality, you can respond in several polite and clear ways. Here are some examples:

1. Direct Response:
   • “I am American.”
2. Including Your Country:
   • “I am from Canada, and I am Canadian.”
3. Mentioning Your Ethnicity (if relevant):
   • “I am British, but my parents are originally from India.”

Countries, Nationalities, and Languages List

Below is a complete countries and nationalities list in English, including the languages spoken in each country.

Country	Nationality	People	Language(s)
Afghanistan	Afghan	Afghans	Pashto, Dari
Argentina	Argentine/Argentinian	Argentines	Spanish
Australia	Australian	Australians	English
Austria	Austrian	Austrians	German
Bangladesh	Bangladeshi	Bangladeshis	Bengali
Belgium	Belgian	Belgians	Dutch, French, German
Bolivia	Bolivian	Bolivians	Spanish
Brazil	Brazilian	Brazilians	Portuguese
Canada	Canadian	Canadians	English, French
Chile	Chilean	Chileans	Spanish
China	Chinese	Chinese	Chinese (Mandarin)
Colombia	Colombian	Colombians	Spanish
Cuba	Cuban	Cubans	Spanish
Denmark	Danish	Danes	Danish
Egypt	Egyptian	Egyptians	Arabic
Finland	Finnish	Finns	Finnish, Swedish
France	French	French	French
Germany	German	Germans	German
Greece	Greek	Greeks	Greek
Hungary	Hungarian	Hungarians	Hungarian
India	Indian	Indians	Hindi, English
Indonesia	Indonesian	Indonesians	Indonesian
Iran	Iranian	Iranians	Persian (Farsi)
Iraq	Iraqi	Iraqis	Arabic, Kurdish
Ireland	Irish	Irish	English, Irish Gaelic
Israel	Israeli	Israelis	Hebrew, Arabic
Italy	Italian	Italians	Italian
Japan	Japanese	Japanese	Japanese
Kenya	Kenyan	Kenyans	Swahili, English
Malaysia	Malaysian	Malaysians	Malay
Mexico	Mexican	Mexicans	Spanish
Morocco	Moroccan	Moroccans	Arabic, Berber
Netherlands	Dutch	Dutch	Dutch
New Zealand	New Zealander	New Zealanders	English, Maori
Nigeria	Nigerian	Nigerians	English
Norway	Norwegian	Norwegians	Norwegian
Pakistan	Pakistani	Pakistanis	Urdu, English
Peru	Peruvian	Peruvians	Spanish
Philippines	Filipino	Filipinos	Filipino, English
Poland	Polish	Poles	Polish
Portugal	Portuguese	Portuguese	Portuguese
Russia	Russian	Russians	Russian
Saudi Arabia	Saudi	Saudis	Arabic
South Africa	South African	South Africans	Afrikaans, English, others
South Korea	South Korean	South Koreans	Korean
Spain	Spanish	Spaniards	Spanish
Sweden	Swedish	Swedes	Swedish
Switzerland	Swiss	Swiss	German, French, Italian, Romansh
Syria	Syrian	Syrians	Arabic
Thailand	Thai	Thais	Thai
Turkey	Turkish	Turks	Turkish
Ukraine	Ukrainian	Ukrainians	Ukrainian
United Kingdom	British	Britons/British	English
United States	American	Americans	English
Venezuela	Venezuelan	Venezuelans	Spanish
Vietnam	Vietnamese	Vietnamese	Vietnamese
Zimbabwe	Zimbabwean	Zimbabweans	English, Shona, Sindebele

Countries and Languages List

Here is a simplified countries and languages list:

• Brazil – Portuguese
• Japan – Japanese
• Germany – German
• Egypt – Arabic
• Canada – English and French
• Switzerland – German, French, Italian, Romansh
• India – Hindi and English
• Morocco – Arabic and Berber

Many countries have more than one official language.

Most Common Nationalities in English

These are some of the most common nationalities learners use:

• American
• British
• Canadian
• Australian
• Indian
• Chinese
• Japanese
• German
• French
• Spanish

These nationalities frequently appear in conversations, exams, and travel contexts.

Common Mistakes About Nationalities

Here are some frequent mistakes learners make when talking about nationalities:

1. Mixing up Country and Nationality: Remember that “country” refers to the nation, while “nationality” is the identity of the people from that country. For example, the country is Japan, but the nationality is Japanese.
2. Using Incorrect Adjectives: Nationality adjectives often differ from the country’s name. For instance, people from the UK are British, not “UKish.”
3. Plural Forms: Be careful with the plural form of people from a country. For example, “French” is both singular and plural, but “German” becomes “Germans” in plural.
4. Language Names: Sometimes the language name is the same as the nationality (e.g., French), but not always (e.g., people from Brazil speak Portuguese, not Brazilian).
5. Danes, Spaniards, and Swedes: People from Denmark are called Danes, not “Danish,” People from Spain are called Spaniards, not “Spanish,” and people from Sweden are called Swedes, not “Swedish.”
6. Capitalization: Nationalities, countries, and languages are always capitalized.

Example Conversations

Conversation 1:

• Person A: Hi there! Where are you from?
• Person B: I’m from Australia. How about you?
• Person A: I’m from Canada.

Conversation 2:

• Person A: What’s your nationality?
• Person B: I’m Italian. How about you?
• Person A: I’m Spanish.

Conversation 3:

• Person A: Are you Chinese?
• Person B: No, I’m Japanese.
• Person A: Oh, cool! I’ve always wanted to visit Japan.

Conversation 4:

• Person A: Where do you come from?
• Person B: I come from India.
• Person A: Oh, nice! I’ve heard India is a beautiful country.

Test Your Knowledge about Nationalities

Related Pages

• Vocabulary Lessons
• Greeting People in English
• Making a Complaint Conversation