foreign
foreign — adjective
1. coming from a different country than the one where you live; involving people, p
coming from a different country than the one where you live; involving people, places, or things from outside your own country
Ari spent a year studying at a foreign university in Japan.
collocation: foreign university
The hotel employs many foreign workers from several Asian countries.
collocation: foreign workers
Jenna can speak three foreign languages, including Mandarin and Spanish.
Foreign visitors to the museum can pick up a guide in their own language.
Élise felt nervous about living in a foreign country for the first time.
- overseas
Specifically means 'across the sea'; narrower than foreign. Used for travel, trade, and relations across oceans.
- international
Emphasises involvement of multiple nations rather than just 'not your own'. Broader and more neutral.
- alien
Stronger, slightly literary or legal tone; can sound dramatic in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. not familiar, normal, or typical for a particular person; feeling strange becaus
not familiar, normal, or typical for a particular person; feeling strange because it is outside what you usually experience or understand
The idea of eating insects for breakfast was completely foreign to Jude.
pattern: foreign to [someone] with intensifier 'completely'
After years of living alone, sharing a bedroom felt foreign to Paloma.
pattern: feel foreign to [someone]
The customs of the small village were foreign to Baraka, who had grown up in a big city.
After moving from Mexico City to Tokyo, Ramón found the custom of removing shoes indoors completely foreign.
The concept of taking a nap during work hours is foreign to many Western companies.
- strange
More general and less formal than foreign in this sense. Can describe anything unusual.
- unfamiliar
Focuses on lack of prior knowledge or experience; softer and more neutral than foreign.
- alien
Stronger connotation of being completely different or unwelcome; can sound dramatic.
- unknown
Suggests no knowledge at all rather than mere difference; more factual.
文法句型
foreign to [someone]
用法筆記
This sense often appears in the pattern 'foreign to + person/group'. Intensifiers such as 'completely', 'totally', and 'entirely' are commonly used to strengthen the sense of strangeness. Distinguished from sense 1 by its focus on unfamiliarity rather than nationality.
常見錯誤
3. describes an object or material that is present in something where it does not n
describes an object or material that is present in something where it does not naturally belong, usually because it got in by accident
The doctor removed a foreign object from the child's ear.
fixed phrase: foreign object
X-rays showed a small foreign body lodged in the patient's lung.
fixed phrase: foreign body
The laboratory found foreign particles in the bottled water sample.
A piece of packaging was a foreign substance that had entered the food during production.
The mechanic discovered a foreign object stuck inside the engine pipe.
- extraneous
Formal term; emphasises that something is not part of the essential material.
- external
Simply means 'coming from the outside'; less specific about not belonging.
- alien
Used in science fiction and biology; more dramatic than 'foreign' in everyday speech.
用法筆記
Common in medical and technical contexts. The fixed phrases 'foreign object' and 'foreign body' are the most frequent uses of this sense. In medical writing, 'foreign body' is a standard term for any object originating outside the body.
4. relating to the relationships, communication, and business between different cou
relating to the relationships, communication, and business between different countries, especially when involving government or official matters
The minister discussed foreign policy with leaders from neighbouring countries.
collocation: foreign policy
Andrew found a job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul.
fixed phrase: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The president's foreign visit to India was covered by news agencies around the world.
Strong foreign investment helped the country's economy grow rapidly.
The two nations signed a new foreign trade agreement last month.
- international
Broader than foreign in this sense; includes multilateral relations, not just between two countries.
- diplomatic
Specifically relates to formal negotiations and embassy-level relations between nations.
- external
Used in formal contexts such as 'external affairs'; slightly more detached and bureaucratic.
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in set noun phrases such as 'foreign policy', 'foreign affairs', 'foreign minister', and 'foreign relations'. It appears frequently in news reports and formal political discussions. Unlike sense 1, it describes the field or domain of international activity rather than simply things from another country.