三さん国ごく人じん

also: さんこくじん

さ

ん

ご

く

じ

ん

Meanings

1

noun

national of a third country

Neutral legal/administrative term for a person from a country other than the two directly involved in a bilateral context (e.g., Japan and another nation).

この協きょう定ていは、三さん国ごく人じんの入にゅう国こく手て続つづきを簡かん素そ化かする。
This agreement simplifies entry procedures for nationals of third countries.

2

noun

foreign resident in Japan (derogatory, esp. Chinese and Korean)

derogatory

Derogatory term historically used in post-WWII Japan to refer to former colonial subjects (especially Chinese and Korean) who remained in Japan; now considered discriminatory and offensive.

戦せん後ご、一いち部ぶの排はい外がい主しゅ義ぎ者しゃが「三さん国ごく人じん」という蔑べっ称しょうを使つかった。
After the war, some xenophobes used the derogatory label 'sangokujin'.

Written forms

三国人
- さんごくじん
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading さんごくじん is the regular on'yomi.
- さんこくじん
  irregular kana usage
  Irregular kana usage variant; さんこくじん is less common and may be considered non-standard.
さんこくじん
irregular kana usage

Kanji

三three
国country
人person

Similar words

外がい国こく人じん
Standard neutral term for 'foreigner'; 三国人 is either a legal term for third-country nationals or a derogatory slur, depending on context.
在ざい日にち
Often used in 在日韓国人・朝鮮人 (Korean residents in Japan); 三国人 is an older, offensive label for the same group.

Etymology

Compound of 三国 (three countries) and 人 (person). The derogatory sense arose in post-WWII Japan, originally used by occupation authorities and later adopted as a slur against former colonial subjects.