Hi Kumanbachi,

I don't think tourists who've been in a country for a few weeks are offended when they're called foreigners. If someone's holding up a guide book or carrying lot's of luggage with airport stickers, I suppose it would be fair to say, 'That person's a foreigner.' But there's a good chance that an immigrant who's settled in a country might be offended when he or she is called 'a foreigner', because this would imply non-acceptance within the society.

As a Maltese person spotting someone who doesn't look Maltese, I'd say, 'That person must have immigrated to Malta.'

Or, 'That woman is very fair, she must have emigrated from somewhere in northern Europe.'

Thanks for the responses!

So if the person is a tourist it may be "fair" to call this person a foreigner, yet if the person has lived in a country for a long time then they might become offended. From just a glance, to tell how long someone has been in a foreign country is sometimes a hard thing to do. I rather like Matthewg's examples. I have even had people become offended when I called them tourists before. Some people are just sensitive I guess.

In Japanese, the word "gaijin" can really be both innocent and a bit derogatory, depending on the situation. I try not to use it. "Gaikokujin" is always safe to use. Perhaps the English word "foreigner" and "gaijin" are somewhat similar. Neither are inherently derogatory but could be taken as offensive by long term residents.

I guess the image in my head of someone saying "foreigner" in English is of a person who does not seem very welcoming. I will have to change that image.