海外（かいがい、kaigaい）
- overseas

The Japanese word 海外, read as かいがい (kaigai), primarily means "overseas," "foreign countries," or "abroad." It refers to places or regions that are outside of one's own country or territory. It can describe a general concept or a specific location. The term encompasses any location that is not within the speaker’s home country. The term 海外 is a core concept in the context of international travel, business, and cultural exchange.

⚫︎ 海外旅行 Translation: Overseas travel ⚫︎ 海外留学 Translation: Studying abroad ⚫︎ 海外勤務 Translation: Working overseas

⚫︎ You use 海外 in conversations when discussing anything related to foreign countries or places that are not your own. ⚫︎ It can be used to describe travel, living, working, or anything else involving a different country. ⚫︎ You can use 海外 as a noun. For example, “I want to go to 海外.” (海外に行きたい - I want to go abroad/overseas) ⚫︎ It can also be used as an adjective phrase, such as “海外の文化” (かいがい の ぶんか - overseas culture).

⚫︎ 海外 is typically written with the kanji 海外. ⚫︎ The reading is かいがい in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ 外国 (がいこく - gaikoku): Foreign country ⚫︎ 外国 is a more general term for "foreign country". 海外 is specifically “overseas”.

⚫︎ 国内 (こくない - kokunai): Domestic, within one's own country ⚫︎ 自国 (じこく - jikoku): One's own country

来年、海外旅行に行きたいです。 ・Translation: I want to go on an overseas trip next year. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 海外 to express a desire to travel outside of one's home country.

彼は海外で仕事を探しています。 ・Translation: He is looking for a job overseas. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates someone is seeking employment in a foreign country.

⚫︎ The word 海外 is composed of two kanji: 海 (umi) meaning "sea" or "ocean," and 外 (soto) meaning "outside." ⚫︎ Together, they literally mean "outside the sea" or "beyond the sea," indicating lands that are accessible by crossing the sea, hence the meaning "overseas" or "foreign countries."