Gaijin and Gaikokujin: Japanese nouns for ‘foreigner’

What do “gaijin” and “gaikokujin” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers use these two words often in the same way: to mean ‘foreigner’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know these words as they are sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain both in detail together with their kanji expressions. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “gaijin” and “gaikokujin” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “gaijin”
• Definition and meaning of “gaikokujin”
• What does “gaikokujin” literally mean in Japanese?
• Gaijin vs. gaikokujin: which to use
  • Example #1: how to use “gaijin”
  • Example #2: how to use “gaikokujin”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “gaijin”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “gaijin”.

• gaijin – 外人 (がいじん) : a noun meaning ‘foreigner’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a foreigner or foreigners in Japanese. This is widely considered as the shortened version of the other one, “gaikokujin”. Then, let me explain it as follows.

Definition and meaning of “gaikokujin”

The definition and meaning of “gaikokujin” are the same as those of the shortened version. Therefore,

• gaikokujin – 外国人 (がいこくじん) : a noun meaning ‘foreigner’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.

This noun can work in more or less the same way as the shortened version does. Like other longer nouns, however, this is widely considered formal and thus suitable for more formal situations. In general, shortened versions are considered less formal.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji expression in detail.

What does “gaikokujin” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “gaikokujin” consists of the following two parts:

• gaikoku – 外国 (がいこく) : a noun meaning ‘foreign country’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• jin – 人 (じん) : a suffix used to add the meaning of ‘person’ or ‘people’ in Japanese.

These two parts tell us that “gaikokujin” literally means ‘people from foreign countries’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is completely in line with the actual meaning.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “gaikokujin” through the detailed kanji check above.

Gaijin vs. gaikokujin: which to use

So far, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “gaijin” and “gaikokujin” in detail. Next, let me explain which we should use. Again, but “gaijin” is the shortened version of “gaikokujin”. In more formal situations, therefore, we should stick to the longer one. In daily conversations, however, just saying “gaijin” is understandable and acceptable. Some may say that there is a difference in politeness: “gaijin” is rude and “gaikokujin” is not. In reality, native speakers use these two nouns in more or less the same way in daily conversations. One is just shorter. There is no difference in meaning, no difference in politeness either.

Then, let me explain how to use “gaijin” and “gaikokujin” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to use “gaijin”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kono – この : a determiner used before a noun which refers to something close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “kuni” to say “this country” in Japanese.
• kuni – 国 (くに) : a noun meaning ‘country’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “kono kuni” to say where the speaker is considered as a foreigner.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “gaijin” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “gaijin”. In this example, it works as the complement in the sentence. Anyway, when we want to say “foreigner” in Japanese, this noun is a good option.

Example #2: how to use “gaikokujin”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to make its plural form, “kanojo tachi”, which means ‘they’ in Japanese.
• mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’, ‘also’, or ‘as well’. In the example, this works after “kanojo tachi” to make the subject in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’.

This is a typical usage of “gaikokujin”. When we want to say “foreigner” in Japanese, this noun is a good option too.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “gaijin” and “gaikokujin” in detail. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• gaijin – 外人 (がいじん) : a noun meaning ‘foreigner’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. This is the shortened version of “gaikokujin”, but can work in more or less the same way.
• gaikokujin – 外国人 (がいこくじん) : a noun meaning ‘foreigner’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These kanji characters literally mean ‘people from foreign countries’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is completely in line with the actual meaning. When we want to refer to foreigners formally in Japanese, this noun is better.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.