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"Gaijin" - exact meaning of it?

Wardie1993

長い英国と日本の友情はラ Cブ!
23 Jun 2012
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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?
 
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.
 
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.

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...
 
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