外国語

gai kokugo

foreign language

私は外国語を勉強しています。

I am studying a foreign language.

general

A language that is not native to the speaker or the country in which it is being used.

彼女は外国語でスピーチをしました。

She gave a speech in a foreign language.

This term is commonly used to refer to any language other than one's native language.

Collocations

外国語学習foreign language learning外国語教育foreign language education

Synonyms

外国の言葉外国の言語

Antonyms

母語国語

Related Phrases

外国語が話せるphrase

to be able to speak a foreign language

Pro Tip

Common Usage

外国語 is often used in formal and educational contexts to discuss language learning or communication in a non-native language.

Word Origin

Composed of 外 (gai, meaning 'outside' or 'foreign') and 国語 (kokugo, meaning 'national language').

Usage Notes

In Japanese, '外国語' typically refers to any language other than Japanese. It is often used in educational contexts to describe the study of languages like English, Chinese, or French.

Word Breakdown

外

outside, foreign

prefix

国語

national language

root

和英辞典

Browse more Japanese→English words →