1.
our country, our nation
A formal expression meaning 'our country,' used in official speeches, government documents, academic writing, and news reporting to refer to Japan (or the speaker's own country). More formal than 日本.
我が国の経済は回復傾向にある。
Our country's economy is on a recovery trend.
我が国では少子高齢化が深刻な問題となっている。
In our country, the declining birthrate and aging population have become a serious problem.
我が国の食料自給率は先進国の中でも特に低い水準にある。
Our country's food self-sufficiency rate is at a particularly low level even among developed nations.
REGISTER:
A formal, written expression. Used in government white papers, academic papers, news commentary, and official speeches. Not used in casual conversation, where 日本 or うち would be used instead.
GRAMMAR:
我が is an archaic possessive form meaning "my" or "our." It survives in set expressions like 我が国, 我が家/我が家 (my home), and 我が社 (our company). In modern Japanese, 我が is not productive — it only appears in established compounds.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 我が国の経済: our country's economy
- 我が国では: in our country
- 我が国における: regarding our country (formal)