diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/scope/src/local.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/scope/src/local.ts
index 95a4728fbd..5d04d2f145 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/scope/src/local.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/ngtsc/scope/src/local.ts
@@ -551,9 +551,32 @@ function invalidRef(
   const code =
       type === 'import' ? ErrorCode.NGMODULE_INVALID_IMPORT : ErrorCode.NGMODULE_INVALID_EXPORT;
   const resolveTarget = type === 'import' ? 'NgModule' : 'NgModule, Component, Directive, or Pipe';
-  return makeDiagnostic(
-      code, identifierOfNode(decl.node) || decl.node,
-      `Appears in the NgModule.${type}s of ${nodeNameForError(clazz)}, but could not be resolved to an ${resolveTarget} class`);
+  let message =
+      `Appears in the NgModule.${type}s of ${nodeNameForError(clazz)}, but could not be resolved to an ${resolveTarget} class.` +
+      '\n\n';
+  const library = decl.ownedByModuleGuess !== null ? ` (${decl.ownedByModuleGuess})` : '';
+  const sf = decl.node.getSourceFile();
+
+  // Provide extra context to the error for the user.
+  if (!sf.isDeclarationFile) {
+    // This is a file in the user's program.
+    const annotationType = type === 'import' ? '@NgModule' : 'Angular';
+    message += `Is it missing an ${annotationType} annotation?`;
+  } else if (sf.fileName.indexOf('node_modules') !== -1) {
+    // This file comes from a third-party library in node_modules.
+    message +=
+        `This likely means that the library${library} which declares ${decl.debugName} has not ` +
+        'been processed correctly by ngcc, or is not compatible with Angular Ivy. Check if a ' +
+        'newer version of the library is available, and update if so. Also consider checking ' +
+        'with the library\'s authors to see if the library is expected to be compatible with Ivy.';
+  } else {
+    // This is a monorepo style local dependency. Unfortunately these are too different to really
+    // offer much more advice than this.
+    message +=
+        `This likely means that the dependency${library} which declares ${decl.debugName} has not been processed correctly by ngcc.`;
+  }
+
+  return makeDiagnostic(code, identifierOfNode(decl.node) || decl.node, message);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
index e838b3e12f..695c4cc2b9 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/ngtsc/ngtsc_spec.ts
@@ -3769,6 +3769,76 @@ runInEachFileSystem(os => {
       // Success is enough to indicate that this passes.
     });
 
+    describe('NgModule invalid import/export errors', () => {
+      function verifyThrownError(errorCode: ErrorCode, errorMessage: string) {
+        const errors = env.driveDiagnostics();
+        expect(errors.length).toBe(1);
+        const {code, messageText} = errors[0];
+        expect(code).toBe(ngErrorCode(errorCode));
+        expect(trim(messageText as string)).toContain(errorMessage);
+      }
+
+      it('should provide a hint when importing an invalid NgModule from node_modules', () => {
+        env.write('node_modules/external/index.d.ts', `
+          export declare class NotAModule {}
+        `);
+        env.write('test.ts', `
+          import {NgModule} from '@angular/core';
+          import {NotAModule} from 'external';
+
+          @NgModule({
+            imports: [NotAModule],
+          })
+          export class Module {}
+        `);
+
+        verifyThrownError(
+            ErrorCode.NGMODULE_INVALID_IMPORT,
+            'This likely means that the library (external) which declares NotAModule has not ' +
+                'been processed correctly by ngcc, or is not compatible with Angular Ivy.');
+      });
+
+      it('should provide a hint when importing an invalid NgModule from a local library', () => {
+        env.write('libs/external/index.d.ts', `
+          export declare class NotAModule {}
+        `);
+
+        env.write('test.ts', `
+          import {NgModule} from '@angular/core';
+          import {NotAModule} from './libs/external';
+
+          @NgModule({
+            imports: [NotAModule],
+          })
+          export class Module {}
+        `);
+
+        verifyThrownError(
+            ErrorCode.NGMODULE_INVALID_IMPORT,
+            'This likely means that the dependency which declares NotAModule has not ' +
+                'been processed correctly by ngcc.');
+      });
+
+      it('should provide a hint when importing an invalid NgModule in the current program', () => {
+        env.write('invalid.ts', `
+          export class NotAModule {}
+        `);
+
+        env.write('test.ts', `
+          import {NgModule} from '@angular/core';
+          import {NotAModule} from './invalid';
+
+          @NgModule({
+            imports: [NotAModule],
+          })
+          export class Module {}
+        `);
+
+        verifyThrownError(
+            ErrorCode.NGMODULE_INVALID_IMPORT, 'Is it missing an @NgModule annotation?');
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('when processing external directives', () => {
       it('should not emit multiple references to the same directive', () => {
         env.write('node_modules/external/index.d.ts', `