外籍

• Pinyin: wài jí
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 = 夕 + 卜; 籍 = 竹 (bamboo, for writing strips) + 耤 (phonetic-semantic: to tread/register) — originally a bamboo-strip register of people

Meaning

Foreign nationality; non-native citizenship. Denoting that a person holds the nationality of another country.

A formal, legal-register term used in official documents, contracts, and news reports. Appears most often as a modifier: 外籍人士 (foreign nationals), 外籍华人 (ethnically Chinese people with foreign citizenship), 外籍教师 (foreign teachers), 外籍球员 (foreign players). Contrasts with 中国籍 (Chinese citizenship).

Examples

1. 该公司聘用了三名外籍顾问，专门负责海外市场的拓展工作。 The company hired three foreign consultants specifically to handle overseas market expansion.
2. 他持有外籍身份，在申请某些政府职位时会受到一定限制。 He holds foreign nationality, which subjects him to certain restrictions when applying for some government positions.
3. 越来越多的外籍华人选择回国创业，带来了资本和国际化的视野。 An increasing number of ethnically Chinese foreign nationals are choosing to return to China to start businesses, bringing capital and an international perspective.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, immigration, business, news

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 申请这个职位需要提交外籍人员居留许可证的复印件。(Applying for this position requires a copy of your foreign national residence permit.)
• 外籍球员的引进为球队带来了新的战术思路。(The signing of foreign players brought fresh tactical ideas to the team.)

Don't Say

• 把外籍和外国人随意混用 (外籍 is a legal concept referring to the nationality on one's passport; 外国人 simply means 'foreigner' and is conversational — they often overlap but are not synonymous in official contexts)

Origin & History

Compound of 外 (outside, foreign) + 籍 (registry, household register, citizenship). 籍 originally referred to the official household registration (户籍) system — 外籍 means 'registered in a foreign household system,' i.e., holding foreign citizenship.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal