外 wài outside
outside; outer; in addition
How to remember 外: 夕 evening + 卜 fortune teller = outside. Every evening the fortune teller sets up his little table in the drizzle, because the café won't let him work anywhere but outside.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
外 = 夕 evening + 卜 fortune teller
- 夕 evening
- 卜 fortune teller
Every evening the fortune teller sets up his little table in the drizzle, because the café won't let him work anywhere but outside.
How it came to be
The oldest form looks like the fortune telling sign alone; the bronze form adds the moon, which gives the sound.
How it is used
- Outside / outer, the opposite of 里 (lǐ, inside): 外面 (wàimiàn) outside, 国外 (guówài) abroad, 外国人 (wàiguórén) a foreigner, 里面 (lǐmiàn) inside.
- Also other / additional: 另外 (lìngwài) besides, 以外 (yǐwài) apart from.
Words with 外
- 外边wàibianoutsideHSK 1
- 外国wàiguóforeign countryHSK 2
- 外面wàimiànoutsideHSK 2
- 以外yǐwàiapart fromHSK 3
- 外卖wàimàitakeoutHSK 3
- 外地wàidìparts of the country other than where one isHSK 3
- 外语wàiyǔforeign languageHSK 3
- 另外lìngwàianotherHSK 4
- 外出wàichūto go outHSK 4
- 外套wàitàoouter garmentHSK 4
- 此外cǐwàibesidesHSK 4
- 中外zhōngwàiSino-foreignHSK 5
- 外公wàigōngmother's fatherHSK 5
- 外婆wàipómother's motherHSK 5
- 外形wàixíngfigureHSK 5
- 外观wàiguānoutward appearanceHSK 5
- 外部wàibùthe outsideHSK 5
- 意外yìwàiunexpectedHSK 5
- 户外hùwàioutdoorHSK 5
- 格外géwàiespeciallyHSK 5
- 海外hǎiwàioverseasHSK 5
- 例外lìwàiexceptionHSK 6
- 内外nèiwàiinside and outsideHSK 6
- 外交wàijiāodiplomacyHSK 6
- 外来wàiláiexternalHSK 6
- 外甥wàishengsister's sonHSK 6
- 外界wàijièthe outside worldHSK 6
- 外科wàikēsurgery (branch of medicine)HSK 6
- 外表wàibiǎoexternalHSK 6
- 海内外hǎinèiwàidomestic and internationalHSK 6
- 郊外jiāowàioutskirtsHSK 6
- 野外yěwàicountrysideHSK 6
- 分外fènwàiexceptionallyHSK 7
- 喜出望外xǐchūwàngwàito be pleased beyond one's expectationsHSK 7
- 境外jìngwàioutside (a country's) bordersHSK 7
- 外号wàihàonicknameHSK 7
- 外向wàixiàngextroverted (personality)HSK 7
- 外在wàizàiexternalHSK 7
- 外星人wàixīngrénspace alienHSK 7
- 外行wàihánglaymanHSK 7
Example sentences
- 屋外下着雪。 Wūwài xiàzhe xuě.It's snowing outside.
- 室外的温度很高。 Shìwài de wēndù hěn gāo.The outside temperature is very high.
- 外面在下雨。 Wàimian zài xiàyǔ.It's raining outside.
- 他们是外国留学生。 Tāmen shì wàiguó liúxuéshēng.They're foreign students.