01
ausländisch
foreign
Originating from another country or relating to another country.
example
Viele deutsche Firmen haben ausländische Handelspartner.
Many German companies have foreign trading partners.
ausländisch
foreign
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is derived from the noun 'das Ausland' (foreign countries / abroad), which means 'fremdes Land' (foreign country). The ending '-isch' turns it into an adjective. Literally, it therefore means 'belonging to foreign countries.'
EXAMPLE
Er liest gerne Bücher in ausländischen Sprachen.
He likes reading books in foreign languages.
Typical collocations
'Ausländisch' (foreign) is often used in combination with people, things, or concepts that have an origin: ausländische Studierende (foreign students), ausländische Produkte (foreign products), ein ausländischer Akzent (a foreign accent), ausländische Politik (foreign policy).
EXAMPLE
Mein Lieblingsrestaurant serviert ausländische Spezialitäten.
My favorite restaurant serves foreign specialties.
Register and style
'Ausländisch' (foreign) is a neutral and factual term. It is frequently used in the news, official documents, and formal language to objectively describe the origin of something or someone.
EXAMPLE
Die Regierung verhandelt über ein neues Abkommen mit ausländischen Investoren.
The government is negotiating a new agreement with foreign investors.
Compare with
ausländisch vs deutsch
German
'deutsch' and 'ausländisch' are often opposites when speaking from a German perspective. 'deutsch' refers to Germany, its language, people, or culture. 'ausländisch' means that something comes from another country or relates to another country. The contrast therefore depends on the point of view: in Germany, a French film is 'ausländisch', while a German film is not. In another country, something German can also be considered 'ausländisch'.
ausländisch
Im Zug liest meine Mutter eine ausländische Zeitung.
On the train, my mother reads a foreign newspaper.
deutsch
Am Wochenende kocht Mehmet ein deutsches Gericht für seine Freunde.
At the weekend, Mehmet cooks a German dish for his friends.
In real life
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