Gaijin
/ˈɡaɪ.dʒɪn/noun
A Japanese term for a foreigner, especially a non-Japanese person.
Did you know?Gaijin is a shortened form of gaikokujin, literally “outside-country person,” while the older compound gaijin can sound informal or, depending on context, dismissive.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
外人
“An outsider or person from beyond a particular group or place”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
ngwaj nyin
“The pronunciation ancestral to the Sino-Japanese elements meaning “outside” and “person””
Classical Japanese
Japanese
外人（がいじん）
“An outsider or foreign person”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
外国人（がいこくじん）
“Foreigner; literally “outside-country person””
20th Century
English
gaijin
“An English borrowing used for a foreigner in Japan, especially a non-Japanese person”