Standard Lemma guide

gaijin

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • gīʹjĭnʹ
  • /ˈɡaɪˌd͡ʒɪn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A non-Japanese person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A white person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Hawaii

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 外人 (gaijin, “foreigner”), from Middle Chinese 外人 (ngwajH nyin). Compare Mandarin 外人 (wàirén), from Old Chinese 外人 (*ŋwaːds njin, “foreigner, outsider” < “non-relative”), from 外 (wài, “outside, outer”) + 人 (rén, “person”).

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 外人 (wàirén) — (Japan) a non-Japanese person
  • Japanese: 外人 (gaijin) — (Japan) a non-Japanese person
  • Korean: 외인 (oein) — (Japan) a non-Japanese person
  • Polish: gaijin — (Japan) a non-Japanese person
  • Polish: gaijinka — (Japan) a non-Japanese person
  • Russian: га́йдзин (gájdzin) — (Japan) a non-Japanese person