Many other countries have similar words but in multi-cultural (and politically correct) America it is considered offensive to refer to someone as an outsider. `Gaijin' is a contraction of the word `gaikokujin', and literally means "foreigner".The Japanese language has several cases of using `gai' (outside) plus a noun to indicate one of `noun' from another country.For example `gaisha' for foreign cars, `gaijin' for foreign people, `gaika' for foreign currencies.
Gaijin (外人) is a Japanese word meaning "foreigner" or "non-Japanese".
The Japanese language has several cases of using gai(outside) plus a noun to indicate one of 'noun' from another country. English words for 外人 include foreigner and outride. So both parties need to come together to work on this issue. Thus, the word literally means "outside person."
The word is primarily used in a negative or derogatory context. ‘the sports dailies' vilification of the Tigers' gaijin manager’ ‘From a Japanese standpoint, she would take to task the gaijin ladies in Japan who refused to comply with traditions with a condescending attitude, at the same time chastising Japanese obatarian who despaired of the big-nosed foreigners.’ Gaijin is fine in normal conversation, both between non-Japanese people and between Japanese and non-Japanese.
to them it just means someone other than japanese.
She is eventually featured in Japan Cosmo as one of the most accomplished gaijin, "outside people," to play the instrument. 1976, Bill Henderson, The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses, Pushcart Press, page 207, For a while he began to speak Japanese, rather slangy, never having seemed to learn it — karoshi for death from overwork, yakitaori-ya for eatery, and gaijin for clumsy foreigner.
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Gaijin(外人) is a contraction of the word gaikokujin(外国人), and literally means "foreigner".
But it can… Since gaijin means "foreigner" you would think that, if you are American, you can't possibly be called a gaijin by another American, since, you know, you're both Americans! The word is composed of two words: gai (外), meaning "outside"; and jin (人), meaning "person". most of the japanese who use the term "gaijin" have no clue what the actual meaning is. Recent Examples on the Web Through conversations with Japanese friends and other gaijin, Iyer illuminates the uniquely paradoxical culture that defines present-day Japan: a society alone, together; at once preposterous and repressed; equally ordered and chaotic. It's like saying "immigrants" in American, except not exactly.