I was born in China vs I were born in China

The correct phrase to use here is 'I was born in China.' The verb 'was' is the correct past tense form of 'to be' when used with the pronoun 'I.' 'I were born in China' is incorrect because 'were' is the past tense form of 'to be' which is used with 'you,' 'we,' 'they,' and plural nouns.

Explained by Miss E.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: February 14, 2025 • 6189 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"I was born in China"

This phrase is the correct way to express the past tense of being born in a specific place when referring to oneself.

Examples:

I was born in China and raised in the United States.
She said she was born in China but grew up in Australia.
Was he born in China or Japan?
When were you born in China?
They were born in China but moved to Canada when they were young.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 29, 2024

Jun 26, 2024 ... “I was born in China and immigrated to the U.S. when I was ten. I am a first-generation college student; this experience instilled in me a ...
I was born in China and immigrated to the U.S. when I was ten. I am a first-generation college student; this experience instilled in me a deep...
Feb 19, 2019 ... I was born in China and moved to Canada at the age of 8. My spoken English and Chinese are comparable. I am better at some aspects in one ...
Mar 17, 2024 ... I was born in China and I'm unable to replace lost birth certificate. Adult Transracial / Int'l Adoptees. I'm 19, my parents lived in Alabama ...
Feb 8, 2022 ... I was born in China to Chinese National parents. My parents and I immigrated to the US when was a small child. My parents were naturalized ...
Jan 28, 2023 ... I was born in China, live with my mom, my dad is in China, my parent is green card holders, and I am a naturalized citizen. Discussion.
Feb 19, 2019 ... I was born in China and adopted when I was only one year old by a Caucasian family from the U.S. I've lived in America for basically my ...
May 10, 2019 ... As a Chinese adoptee (I was born in China and adopted as a baby, after which I grew up in the U.S.), my Chinese appearance means that people ...
Aug 24, 2015 ... I was born in China Lake, California, a Navy base in the middle of the Mojave Desert. My father, who had come to the United States from Iraq ...
Nov 20, 2019 ... I was born in China, but moved to the U.S. with my parents when I was almost 2 so they could become graduate workers and earn their PhDs. So ...

This phrase is incorrect in English.

"I were born in China"

The verb 'were' is the past tense form of 'to be' used with 'you,' 'we,' 'they,' and plural nouns. It should not be used with the pronoun 'I.'

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 29, 2024

Nov 17, 2020 ... Try again. Open in App. Sign In. What is my nationality if I were born in China, and currently an American citizen? All related (44).
Dec 13, 2021 ... The narrator's parents. I. were born in China II. spoke Mandarin at school
Sep 6, 2018 ... Iif I were born in China instead of America I may not have had as many educational and career opportunities. Unfairness/corruption exists in ...
If I were born in China, I may have a different feeling. I know my husband doesn't feel exactly the way I do because he grew up in Greenville. Born in ...
Jun 30, 2024 ... My family and I were born in China and grew up traveling between Guangdong and Hong Kong. When we immigrated to the Lower East Side in 1998 ...
My twin brother* and I were born in China of missionary parents. They returned home after 8 years of service due to my mother's health. My brother and I ...
Jul 10, 2023 ... However, if I were born in China, I wouldn't have liked tea. I'd probably be drinking red wine or something because Chinese don't put sugar ...
Sep 6, 2024 ... Award Share. u/SoFarAway95 avatar · SoFarAway95. • 3mo ago •. I wish I were born in China *cries dramatically. Upvote 2. Downvote Reply reply
As soon as they adopt an alphabet with a sane number of graphemes I might. If I were born in China even basic school kid's comics magazines would be out of my ...
If I were born in China, I would have been a Buddhist. In all my life, the worst people I've met are “Very Religious” Christians. I'm not being vituperative ...

Alternatives:

I was born in China
I am from China
I come from China
I hail from China
I originated in China

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I was born in China vs I were born in China

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