(じこく)

じこく
noun
one's own country
1. one's own country; home country
The country to which the speaker or subject belongs. Used in formal and written contexts when discussing national policies, international comparisons, or patriotic matters.
自国(じこく)文化(ぶんか)大切(たいせつ)にする。
To value one's own country's culture.
自国(じこく)産業(さんぎょう)(まも)るために関税(かんぜい)()()げた。
Tariffs were raised to protect domestic industry.
海外(かいがい)()んでみて(はじ)めて、自国(じこく)()さに()づくことがある。
Sometimes it's only after living abroad that you realize the good things about your own country.

A compound of () (self) and (こく) (country). Formal in register and common in news, political discourse, and academic writing.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 自国(じこく)利益(りえき) (one's country's interests)
  • 自国(じこく)文化(ぶんか) (one's own culture)
  • 自国(じこく)(みん) (citizens of one's own country)
  • 自国(じこく)通貨(つうか) (domestic currency)

Note the homophone 時刻(じこく) (time, hour), which is a completely different word. In casual speech, 自分(じぶん)(くに) is more natural than 自国(じこく).