Translation guide
The country where an event, organization, or person is being hosted. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 開催国 for events, while 受け入れ国 or ホスト国 are used for broader contexts. The choice depends on what is being hosted.
The country that organizes and holds an event.
Standard term for the host country of an event. Used in news and formal contexts.
次のオリンピックの開催国は日本です。
The host country for the next Olympics is Japan.
開催国として、万全の準備を整えなければならない。
As the host country, we must make thorough preparations.
Loanword from English, often used interchangeably with 開催国 but can sound slightly more casual or international.
ホスト国としての責任を果たす。
Fulfill the responsibilities as the host country.
The country that receives and accommodates individuals or groups.
Literally 'receiving country'. Used for countries that accept foreign nationals, such as exchange students, trainees, or refugees.
留学生の受け入れ国として、日本は人気がある。
Japan is popular as a host country for international students.
難民の受け入れ国は限られている。
The host countries for refugees are limited.
Also used for hosting people, but 受け入れ国 is more precise and common in official contexts.
ホスト国として、留学生に住居を提供する。
As the host country, we provide housing for international students.
The country that welcomes a visiting sports team or cultural group.
Means 'the other country' or 'the counterpart country'. Often used when referring to the host in a bilateral exchange, especially in sports.
相手国での試合は難しい。
Games in the host country are tough.
Literally 'the country where one is on an away trip'. Used in sports contexts to refer to the host country from the visiting team's perspective.
遠征先の国での初戦に勝った。
We won the first match in the host country.
When the type of hosting is not specified or is mixed.
The safest all-purpose loanword. Widely understood and used in media.
その会議のホスト国はまだ決まっていない。
The host country for the conference hasn't been decided yet.
Emphasizes the organizing/sponsoring role. Often used for events but can overlap with 開催国.
主催国として、開会式で挨拶した。
As the host country, we gave a speech at the opening ceremony.
開催国 is strictly for events (conferences, sports tournaments). 受け入れ国 is for accepting people (students, refugees). ホスト国 is a flexible loanword that can cover both, but may sound less formal in official documents.
Do not translate 'host country' as 主人国 or 宿主国. These are not used in this sense and will cause confusion.