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Words Kanji Guides About

異国 (いこく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

異い国こく

い

こ

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

foreign country; foreign land

Neutral term for a country other than one's own. Often used in literary or slightly formal contexts, but common in news and travel writing.

彼かれは異い国こくでの生せい活かつに憧あこがれている。
He longs for life in a foreign country.
異い国こくの

文ぶん

化か

に

触ふ

れる

の

は

楽たの

しい

。

It's enjoyable to experience foreign cultures.

Kanji

異uncommon, different, queerness
国country

Similar words

外がい国こく
外国 is the most common and neutral word for 'foreign country'. 異国 carries a slightly more literary or exotic nuance, often evoking a sense of unfamiliarity or distance.
他た国こく
他国 also means 'other country', but is more formal and often used in political or diplomatic contexts. 異国 is more about the cultural or experiential aspect of a foreign land.

Etymology

Compound of 異 (i, 'different, unusual') and 国 (koku, 'country'). The combination straightforwardly means 'different country' or 'foreign land'.