Definition

Noun: - A country that is not one's own; a nation that is part of the rest of the world as distinct from one's homeland. It refers to the concept or entity of a foreign land or foreign nations collectively. - Of, from, or relating to such a country; foreign. Used attributively to describe people, things, or characteristics originating from abroad.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy đã sống nhiều năm ở ngoại quốc. (He lived for many years in a foreign country.)
  • Công ty này chuyên nhập khẩu hàng hóa ngoại quốc. (This company specializes in importing foreign goods.)
• Used attributively:
  • Nhiều nhà đầu tư ngoại quốc đã đến Việt Nam. (Many foreign investors have come to Vietnam.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is formal and is often used in official, written, or news contexts. In everyday spoken language, "nước ngoài" is more common.
• It can be used in compound structures to specify types of foreign entities, though these are considered separate lexical items.

Variants and Related Words

• Người ngoại quốc (n): A foreigner; a person from a foreign country.
  • Khu phố này có nhiều người ngoại quốc sinh sống. (This neighborhood has many foreigners living here.)
• Hàng ngoại quốc (n): Foreign-made goods; imports.
  • Cửa hàng này bán toàn hàng ngoại quốc. (This store sells only foreign goods.)

Synonyms

• Foreign country: A nation other than one's own.
• Abroad: In or to a foreign country or countries.
• Overseas: (Situated, coming from, or relating to) across the sea; foreign.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Đi ngoại quốc: To go abroad/to a foreign country.
  • Cô ấy đi ngoại quốc để học tập. (She went abroad to study.)
• Về từ ngoại quốc: To return from a foreign country/from abroad.
  • Anh ấy mới về từ ngoại quốc. (He just returned from abroad.)

noun

1. foreign country; foreign parts