also: ほんこく
noun
home country; one's own country; country of origin
Only with reading ほんごく
Refers to the country a person or thing originally comes from, or the country one considers home. Common in contexts of nationality, products, or returning from abroad.
彼は5年ぶりに本国へ帰国した。
He returned to his home country after five years.
The country of origin of this product is Japan.
noun
suzerain country; colonizing country
Only with reading ほんごく
Historical or political term used from the perspective of a vassal state or colony to refer to the ruling or colonizing power. Not used in everyday conversation.
その植民地は本国の法律に従わされた。
The colony was forced to follow the laws of the colonizing country.
noun
ancestral homeland; country of one's ancestors
Only with reading ほんごく
Refers to the country where one's ancestors lived, often used by descendants living abroad. Less common than sense 1 but still encountered in discussions of heritage.
彼女は曾祖父の本国を訪ねるために旅行した。
She traveled to visit the country of her great-grandfather.
noun
this country; our country
Used in formal or written contexts to refer to one's own country, especially in contrast to foreign nations. Can sound slightly old-fashioned or bureaucratic.
本国の法律では、その行為は禁止されている。
Under the laws of this country, that act is prohibited.