1.
foreigner; non-Japanese person
A person from another country, especially as seen from a Japanese perspective. More casual and sometimes considered less polite than the formal equivalent.
あの人は外人だ。
That person is a foreigner.
この街には外人が多く住んでいる。
Many foreigners live in this town.
日本に長く住んでいても、外人扱いされることがある。
Even after living in Japan for a long time, you can sometimes be treated as a foreigner.
2.
outsider; stranger to a group
Someone who does not belong to a particular group or community.
あの業界では外人だよ。
I'm an outsider in that industry.
地元の人から見れば、私たちは外人だ。
From the locals' point of view, we are outsiders.
政治の世界では外人なので、詳しいことはわからない。
I'm an outsider to the world of politics, so I don't know the details.
外 (outside) + 人 (person). Shortened form of 外国人. Very commonly used in everyday speech but can carry a distancing or othering nuance that some find insensitive. In formal writing and official contexts, 外国人 is always preferred.
USAGE:
While not inherently a slur, 外人 is perceived by many non-Japanese residents as exclusionary. The word tends to draw a sharp line between Japanese and non-Japanese and can feel reductive. Awareness of this nuance has grown, and many Japanese speakers now prefer 外国人 or 外国の方 in polite contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 外人扱い — being treated as a foreigner
- 外人選手 — foreign player (in sports)
- 外人部隊 — foreign legion
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 外国人 — foreigner — the standard, neutral term
- 異邦人 — stranger from a foreign land — literary and poetic
- 外来者 — outsider; person from outside — formal, often used for visitors
Related Words
Related:
がいこくじん