"Gaijin" - exact meaning of it?

Wardie1993

長い英国と日本の友情はラ Cブ！

23 Jun 2012

179

5

• 16 Feb 2013

• #1

i have heard the word is not always used with negative intent, but it does sort of sound like it, i understand it more or less means "foreigner", which isnt really that bad since we call non-native people foreigners as well, sometimes though it can have negative conotations, so what is the exact meaning and how is it usually used?

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 16 Feb 2013

• #2

Gaijin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

thomas

Unswerving cyclist

Admin

14 Mar 2002

21,074

18,936

• 16 Feb 2013

• #3

Gaijin or Gaikokujin? | Japan Forum

Gaijin, Gaikokujin, as in a negative thing? Outsider or foreigner? | Japan Forum

Surely the meaning of 'gaijin' is contextual?! | Japan Forum

 

Mark of Zorro

先輩

4 Oct 2012

2,427

316

• 16 Feb 2013

• #4

A precise definition won't really give you an answer.

What it means when people say it is only what they think it means. If they think its negative, then it is. Further, the listener may misinterpret the speaker, if they think its negative or positive.

 

Z

Zlarp

先輩

21 Oct 2012

119

5

• 18 Feb 2013

• #5

Mark of Zorro said:

A precise definition won't really give you an answer.

What it means when people say it is only what they think it means. If they think its negative, then it is. Further, the listener may misinterpret the speaker, if they think its negative or positive.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Even "you're a very kind person" can be an insult.

God I hope this doesn't turn into a discussion of political correctness, because people never seem to understand the underlying assumptions of those...