内ない国こく人じん

な

い

こ

く

じ

ん

Meanings

1

noun

national; citizen; native

Refers to a person who is a citizen or native of a particular country. Often used in contrast with 外国人 (foreigner).

Kanji

内inside, within, between
国country
人person

Related words

外がい国こく人じん
外国人 means 'foreigner', the opposite of 内国人. 内国人 is less common and more formal, often used in legal or official contexts.
国こく民みん
国民 is the more common word for 'citizen' or 'national', referring to the people of a nation. 内国人 is rarer and emphasizes the contrast with foreigners.

Opposites

外がい国こく人じんN5
外国人 refers to a person from another country, while 内国人 refers to a citizen or national of one's own country, though 内国人 is rare in everyday speech.

Built from

内ない+国こく人じん

Etymology

Compound of 内 (ない, inside) + 国 (こく, country) + 人 (じん, person). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it appears to be a relatively modern coinage as an antonym to 外国人.