Japanese word

洋画

Pronunciation

Romajiyōga

Meaning

  • nounforeign movie

Example

週末に洋画を見ます。shū matsu ni yō ga o mi ma su

I watch a foreign movie on weekends.

Illustration for 洋画 (foreign movie)

More examples

字幕がある洋画なら、英語の勉強にもなります。ji maku ga a ru yō ga na ra ei go no ben kyō ni mo na ri ma su

A foreign movie with subtitles can also help you study English.

Core concept

Marks a visual work as coming from outside Japan, especially a foreign film in this sense.

Common phrases

  • 洋画を見るyō ga o mi ru

    watch a foreign movie

  • 洋画の字幕yō ga no ji maku

    foreign movie subtitles

Similar words

外国映画gaikokueiga: A formal term for a film made in a country other than Japan.

Definition in Japanese

日本以外の国で製作された映画。nihon i gai no kuni de sei saku sa re ta ei ga

Word origin

The compound 洋画 (yōga, "foreign film or Western painting") combines 洋 (yō, "Western") and 画 (ga, "picture or image"), covering both a Western painting and a foreign film.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese film listings, 洋画 (yōga) usually contrasts with 邦画 (hōga), meaning a film made in Japan, rather than describing the film's language.

Other meanings

  • Western paintingnoun

Opposites

  • 邦画hōgaJapanese movienoun

Word lists with this word