How to say "foreigner" in Japanese

• 外人がいじんCommon
  nounThe casual spoken term, applied especially to foreigners of European ancestry; many take it as blunt or even derogatory, so in polite or careful speech 外国人 is the safer choice.
  その外人がいじんはスコットランド出身しゅっしんだ。↗

  The foreigner comes from Scotland.
• 外国人がいこくじんJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe neutral, all-purpose word for a foreigner of any origin; with senses like 'foreign citizen' and 'foreign national', it is the safe choice in everyday speech, writing, and official or legal contexts.
  「居住きょじゅう外国人がいこくじん」とは、どういう意味いみですか。↗

  What does "resident alien" mean?
• 異邦人いほうじんCommon
  nounA literary word that presents a foreigner as a stranger or outsider; found in literature and figurative talk about not belonging, it is seldom the neutral word for an actual foreign national.

Choose 外国人 as the neutral word for any foreigner, including legal and official uses; 外人 is the casual term, especially for Westerners, and can offend; 異邦人 is literary, casting a person as an outsider.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 外人がいじんforeigner (esp. one of European ancestry)
• 外国人がいこくじんforeigner
• 異邦人いほうじんforeigner
• 異人いじんforeigner (esp. one of European ancestry)
• フォリナーforeigner
• 他国人たこくじんforeigner
• 異国の人いこくのひとforeigner
• 異国人いこくじんforeigner
• 異郷人いきょうじんforeigner
• 外国の方がいこくのかたforeigner
• エトランゼstranger
• 英語人えいごじんEnglish-speaking person
• 夷人いじんforeigner
• 夷えびすforeigner