Dictionary › 外

外

wài

Old HSK 2 HSK 3.0 character level 1 Character

外 (wài) means "outside". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 2 in the old six-level list.

What 外 means

1. outside
2. in addition
3. foreign
4. external

Example sentences

• 外质！
  Ectoplasma!
• 别见外。
  Don't be a stranger.
• 户外运动。
  Exercise outdoors.
• 那是例外。
  That's an exception.
• 外面有雾。
  It's foggy out.
• 我没有外债。
  Wǒ méiyǒu wàizhài.
  I am free of debt.

Words starting with 外

• 外面wài miànoutside (also pr. wài mian for this sense); surface; exterior
• 外交wài jiāodiplomacy; diplomatic; foreign affairs
• 外表wài biǎoexternal; outside; outward appearance
• 外界wài jièthe outside world; external
• 外行wài hánglayman; amateur
• 外国wài guóforeign country
• 外向wài xiàngextroverted (personality); (economics etc) export-oriented
• 外语wài yǔforeign language
• 外国人wài guó rénforeigner
• 外地wài dìparts of the country other than where one is
• 外汇wài huìforeign (currency) exchange
• 外出wài chūto go out; to go away (on a trip etc)
• 外婆wài pó(colloquial) mother's mother; maternal grandmother
• 外边wài bianoutside; outer surface; abroad
• 外来wài láiexternal; foreign; outside
• 外资wài zīforeign investment; foreign capital
• 外贸wài màoforeign trade
• 外套wài tàoouter garment; jacket; coat
• 外人wài rénoutsider; foreigner; stranger
• 外部wài bùthe outside; (attributive) external; exterior; surface
• 外观wài guānoutward appearance
• 外币wài bìforeign currency
• 外公wài gōng(colloquial) mother's father; maternal grandfather
• 外交部Wài jiāo bùMinistry of Foreign Affairs; foreign office; Dept. of State

Words containing 外

• 另外lìng wàiadditional; in addition; besides
• 意外yì wàiunexpected; accident; mishap
• 此外cǐ wàibesides; in addition; moreover; furthermore
• 格外gé wàiespecially; particularly; even more than usual; extra; additional
• 国外guó wàiabroad; external (affairs); overseas
• 例外lì wàiexception; to be an exception
• 额外é wàiextra; added; additional
• 之外zhī wàioutside; excluding
• 海外hǎi wàioverseas; abroad
• 以外yǐ wàiapart from; other than; except for
• 门外mén wàioutside the door
• 对外duì wàiexternal; foreign; pertaining to external or foreign (affairs)
• 老外lǎo wài(colloquial) foreigner (esp. non Asian person); layman; amateur
• 国内外guó nèi wàidomestic and international; at home and abroad
• 中外zhōng wàiSino-foreign; Chinese-foreign; home and abroad
• 内外nèi wàiinside and outside; domestic and foreign; approximately
• 户外hù wàioutdoor
• 境外jìng wàioutside (a country's) borders
• 除此之外chú cǐ zhī wàiapart from this; in addition to this
• 课外kè wàiextracurricular
• 野外yě wàicountryside; areas outside the city
• 除外chú wàito exclude; not including sth (when counting or listing); except for
• 海内外hǎi nèi wàidomestic and international; at home and abroad
• 校外xiào wàioff campus

Characters that look like 外

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 纤xiānfine; delicate; minute

Where 外 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Directions and Position (HSK 2), HSK 2 Characters · Set 10 (HSK 2), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 2 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read wài correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.