How do you use "foreign" in a sentence?

She speaks three foreign languages fluently. The concept of queuing was foreign to him. The Foreign Office handles diplomatic relations.

foreign

Q: What does "foreign" mean?

From or relating to another country; unfamiliar or strange The adjective 'foreign' describes something from another country (foreign language, foreign policy) or something unfamiliar (the concept was foreign to me). 'Foreign affairs' relates to international relations. 'Foreign exchange' refers to currencies from other countries. Note: some people prefer 'international' or 'overseas' as 'foreign' can sound exclusionary.

Vocabulary Word BritishAmerican ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Meaning: From or relating to another country; unfamiliar or strange

外国的；陌生的

extranjero; ajeno

外国の；なじみのない

외국의; 낯선

The adjective 'foreign' describes something from another country (foreign language, foreign policy) or something unfamiliar (the concept was foreign to me). 'Foreign affairs' relates to international relations. 'Foreign exchange' refers to currencies from other countries. Note: some people prefer 'international' or 'overseas' as 'foreign' can sound exclusionary.

形容词「foreign」描述来自另一个国家的事物（foreign language, foreign policy）或不熟悉的事物（the concept was foreign to me）。「foreign affairs」与国际关系有关。「foreign exchange」指其他国家的货币。注意：有些人更喜欢用「international」或「overseas」，因为「foreign」可能听起来有排斥感。

El adjetivo «foreign» describe algo de otro país (foreign language, foreign policy) o algo desconocido (the concept was foreign to me). «Foreign affairs» se relaciona con relaciones internacionales. «Foreign exchange» se refiere a monedas de otros países. Nota: algunas personas prefieren «international» u «overseas» ya que «foreign» puede sonar excluyente.

形容詞「foreign」は他の国からのもの（foreign language, foreign policy）または馴染みのないもの（the concept was foreign to me）を表します。「foreign affairs」は国際関係に関連します。「foreign exchange」は他の国の通貨を指します。注：「foreign」は排他的に聞こえる可能性があるため、「international」や「overseas」を好む人もいます。

형용사 'foreign'은 다른 나라에서 온 것(외국어, 외교 정책)이나 낯선 것(그 개념은 나에게 생소했다)을 묘사합니다. 'foreign affairs'는 국제 관계와 관련됩니다. 'foreign exchange'는 다른 나라의 통화를 가리킵니다. 참고: 'foreign'이 배타적으로 들릴 수 있어 'international'이나 'overseas'를 선호하는 사람들도 있습니다.

Examples

She speaks three foreign languages fluently.
她流利地说三门外语。
Habla tres idiomas extranjeros con fluidez.
彼女は3つの外国語を流暢に話します。
그녀는 3개 외국어를 유창하게 구사합니다.
The concept of queuing was foreign to him.
排队的概念对他来说很陌生。
El concepto de hacer cola le era ajeno.
列に並ぶという概念は彼には馴染みがありませんでした。
줄을 서는 개념은 그에게 낯선 것이었습니다.
The Foreign Office handles diplomatic relations.
外交部处理外交关系。
El Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores maneja las relaciones diplomáticas.
外務省は外交関係を担当しています。
외무부는 외교 관계를 담당하고 있습니다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: general

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old French 'forain' meaning 'outside' or 'external', from Latin 'foranus' (from 'foris' meaning 'outside'). Originally meant simply 'out of doors'; the sense of 'from another country' developed by the 15th century.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal