Zagraniczny

Zagraniczny is a Polish adjective meaning foreign, external, or international. It is used to describe things connected with foreign countries or outside the domestic realm. In everyday language it contrasts with krajowy (domestic) or wewnętrzny (internal) and can refer to people (osoba zagraniczna), objects, services, or concepts (handel zagraniczny, polityka zagraniczna).

Etymology and nuance: the word is formed with the prefix za- meaning beyond or across, combined with a root related to borders or boundaries, conveying the sense of being beyond the border. The related noun zagranica refers to foreign countries or abroad. The term carries a broad, non-pejorative meaning and is widely used across contexts to denote international or overseas relations.

Common usages include foreign affairs (sprawy zagraniczne), foreign trade (handel zagraniczny), international transport or communications (połączenia zagraniczne or połączenia międzynarodowe), and foreign cultures or influences (kultury zagraniczne). In administrative and legal language, zagraniczny often appears in compound terms describing external or international aspects of policy, economy, or services. The form adjusts with grammatical gender and number (zagraniczny, zagraniczna, zagraniczne).

In modern Polish, zagraniczny is a standard term used in government, business, media, and education to indicate relation to foreign states or markets. It is normally written in lowercase unless it begins a sentence or is part of a title.

See also: krajowy, międzynarodowy, sprawy zagraniczne, handel zagraniczny.