お雇やとい外がい国こく人じん

お

や

と

い

が

い

こ

く

じ

ん

Meanings

noun

foreign advisor hired by the Japanese government during the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods

Historical term referring to specialists from Western countries employed to assist Japan's modernization in fields such as engineering, education, and military affairs.

明めい治じ時じ代だい、多おおくのお雇やとい外がい国こく人じんが日本にほんの

近きん

代だい

化か

に

貢こう

献けん

し

た

。

During the Meiji period, many hired foreigners contributed to Japan's modernization.

お雇やとい外がい国こく人じんの中なかには、鉄てつ道どうや灯とう台だいの建けん設せつを指し導どうした技ぎ術じゅつ者しゃもいた。

Among the hired foreigners were engineers who supervised the construction of railways and lighthouses.

Kanji

雇employ, hire
外outside
国country
人person
御honorable, manipulate, govern

Related words

外がい国こく人じん
General term for 'foreigner'; お雇い外国人 specifically denotes those hired by the government for modernization projects.
御雇おやとい
Honorific prefix 御 (お) + 雇い (hiring); used in historical contexts for government-employed foreigners.

Built from

雇やとう+外がい国こく人じん

Written forms

お雇やとい外がい国こく人じん
Standard modern spelling with honorific prefix お.
御お雇やとい外がい国こく人じん
Formal variant using the kanji 御 for the honorific prefix; less common in modern writing.
御お雇やとい外がい国こく人じん
Abbreviated formal variant without the okurigana い; rarely used.

Etymology

Compound of honorific prefix お (御) + 雇い (yatoi, 'hiring') + 外国人 (gaikokujin, 'foreigner'). The term emerged in the late Edo and Meiji periods to refer to foreign experts employed by the Japanese government.