Inklingo

How to Say "foreign" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “foreign” is “extranjero” — use 'extranjero' when referring to something or someone that is not from your own country, such as a language, a person, or a place from another nation..

English → Spanish

extranjero

ehx-trahn-HEH-roh/eks.tɾaŋˈxe.ɾo/

adjectiveA2general
Use 'extranjero' when referring to something or someone that is not from your own country, such as a language, a person, or a place from another nation.
A vibrant red Japanese torii gate standing alone in a simple, generic green field under a blue sky, illustrating something foreign to the setting.

Examples

Mi hermana estudia un idioma extranjero.

My sister studies a foreign language.

La inversión extranjera es importante para la economía.

Foreign investment is important for the economy.

Matching the Noun

As an adjective, 'extranjero' must change its ending to match the thing it describes in gender (o/a) and number (singular/plural).

Gender Mismatch

Mistake: “Compré una comida extranjero.”

Correction: Compré una comida extranjera. (Because 'comida' is feminine.)

extraño

adjectiveA2general
Use 'extraño' when 'foreign' implies something unfamiliar, peculiar, or out of place, rather than strictly from another country. It can also mean 'strange' or 'odd'.

Examples

Vi algo extraño en el cielo anoche.

I saw something strange in the sky last night.

alienígena

adjectiveB1technical/specific
Use 'alienígena' specifically when 'foreign' refers to something originating from another planet or an entirely different, non-human world, or in a more technical sense for something of non-native origin.

Examples

Los científicos investigan la tecnología alienígena recuperada.

Scientists are investigating the recovered alien technology.

Extranjero vs. Extraño

Learners often confuse 'extranjero' and 'extraño'. Remember that 'extranjero' specifically means from another country, while 'extraño' implies strangeness or unfamiliarity, which *might* be due to being foreign but isn't the primary meaning.

Related Translations

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