敵国

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 敵国, read てきこく, means a country on the opposing side in a war or hostile relationship.
• Basic usage: It is used when discussing peace between countries in a story or whom to guard against during wartime.
  • 物語の王子は敵国との和平を望んでいた。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Hostility compared with 外国
  • 外国 means a country other than one's own, while 敵国 means a country in a hostile relationship.