An expatriate is a person who lives in a country that is not the country they came from. People shorten it to 'expat' almost always in speech — 'expatriate' in full sounds like paperwork.

An expatriate is a person who lives in a country that is not the country they came fromexpatriate指的是住在不是自己原本國家的人。People shorten it to 'expat' almost always in speech人們在口語裡幾乎都會簡稱它為「expat」——'expatriate' in full sounds like paperwork完整講「expatriate」聽起來像在唸公文。

As a verb, to expatriate someone is to send them out of their own country; that older, harder meaning is where the word started, and you still meet it in history books and in 'expatriate yourself' (to leave your own country to live elsewhere). As an adjective it sits in front of a noun: an expatriate teacher, the expatriate community, expatriate workers.

As a verb當動詞用的時候，to expatriate someone is to send them out of their own countryto expatriate someone是指把某人趕出自己的國家；that older, harder meaning is where the word started這個比較舊、比較嚴厲的意思，就是這個字最早的來源，and you still meet it in history books and in 'expatriate yourself'你還會在歷史書裡遇到它，也會在「expatriate yourself」這個說法裡看到——(to leave your own country to live elsewhere)（離開自己的國家去別處住）。As an adjective it sits in front of a noun當形容詞用的時候，它會放在名詞前面：an expatriate teacher, the expatriate community, expatriate workersan expatriate teacher（外派老師）、the expatriate community（外派社群）、expatriate workers（外派員工）。

Here is the messy part, and it matters. In plain meaning, anyone living outside their home country is an expatriate — a Filipino nurse in Taipei, a Taiwanese engineer in Texas, an American teacher in Kaohsiung.

Here is the messy part, and it matters接下來是比較複雜的部分，而且很重要。In plain meaning就字面意思來說，anyone living outside their home country is an expatriate任何住在自己國家以外的人都是expatriate——a Filipino nurse in Taipei, a Taiwanese engineer in Texas, an American teacher in Kaohsiung在台北的菲律賓護理師、在德州的台灣工程師、在高雄的美國老師都算。

But in how people actually talk, 'expat' is mostly used for Westerners and for professionals sent abroad by a company, while people doing lower-paid work are called 'migrant workers' or 'immigrants'. That split is about money and race more than about the word, and many people have noticed it and complain about it.

But in how people actually talk但在人們實際的講法裡，'expat' is mostly used for Westerners and for professionals sent abroad by a company「expat」大多是用在西方人身上，或是公司外派出去的專業人士；while people doing lower-paid work are called 'migrant workers' or 'immigrants'而做比較低薪工作的人，則被稱為「migrant workers（移工）」或「immigrants（移民）」。That split is about money and race more than about the word這種區分跟金錢和種族的關係，比跟這個字本身的關係還大，and many people have noticed it and complain about it也有很多人注意到這一點並提出批評。

There is also a real difference in feeling between 'expat' and 'immigrant': an immigrant plans to stay, an expat is felt to be here for a few years and then gone. Someone can call themselves an expat for twenty years and still feel temporary.

There is also a real difference in feeling between 'expat' and 'immigrant'「expat」和「immigrant」在感覺上也真的不一樣：an immigrant plans to stayimmigrant是打算長住的，an expat is felt to be here for a few years and then goneexpat則給人一種待個幾年就會離開的感覺。Someone can call themselves an expat for twenty years and still feel temporary有人可能自稱expat自稱了二十年，還是覺得自己只是暫時的。