nounnounadjective

el extranjero

foreign · abroad · foreigner

Persona o cosa que viene de otro país o lugar diferente al propio.

Definition & meaning

Extranjero means foreign or from another country.

As a noun, it can mean foreigner: a person from a country other than the one being discussed. The masculine noun el extranjero can also mean abroad or a foreign country.

Grammar & Word origin

As an adjective, it agrees with the noun: masculine singular extranjero, feminine singular extranjera, and plural extranjeros or extranjeras.
As a noun referring to a person, it follows the same gender and number patterns.
It comes from Old French estrangier, ultimately from Latin extraneus, meaning “external” or “from outside.”

Synonyms & antonyms

foráneo — foreign or from elsewhere; it can also refer to another region rather than another country.
nacional — national or domestic; the opposite when contrasting something from one’s own country with something foreign.
nativo — native; contrasts with a foreigner in some contexts, though being native is not the same as holding a nationality.