外国人

• Reading: がいこくじん
• Romaji: gaikokujin
• Kanji breakdown: 外 (gai) — outside; 国 (koku) — country; 人 (jin) — person
• Pronunciation: /ɡa.i.ko.kɯ.dʑiɴ/

Meaning

Foreigner; foreign citizen; foreign national. A person from another country.

A noun used as the standard polite term for people of non-Japanese nationality. 外国人 is preferred in formal and official contexts over the colloquial 外人 (gaijin), which some consider rude. Common collocations include 外国人観光客 (foreign tourists), 外国人登録 (foreigner registration), and 在日外国人 (foreign residents in Japan).

Examples

1. 最近この町に外国人が増えてきた。 The number of foreigners in this town has been increasing recently.
2. 外国人向けの日本語教室がある。 There's a Japanese language class for foreigners.
3. 外国人観光客に道を聞かれた。 A foreign tourist asked me for directions.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, government, tourism

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 外国 (foreign country, from 外 'outside' + 国 'country') and 人 (person). Literally a person from an outside country.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal