外 meaning and stroke order
Outside; in addition; foreign
How to write 外, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 外
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- outside
- in addition
- foreign
- external
How 外 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Night-time 夕 divinations 卜; the supernatural, the foreign.
Radical: 夕 (evening), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 外
外 combines 夕 (xī, evening) and 卜 (bǔ, divination). Picture someone doing divinations at night, reaching toward the strange world beyond the everyday, and you get the idea of outside and foreign.
外 appears in many everyday words about location and foreignness, such as 外面 (wàimiàn, outside), 外国 (wàiguó, foreign country) and 外卖 (wàimài, takeout). Example: 我在外面等你。(Wǒ zài wàimiàn děng nǐ.) I will wait for you outside.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 夂 or 久 instead of 夕. The left part is 夕 with its short dot inside, and the right part is 卜, a vertical stroke with a dot to the right.
Common words with 外
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country | HSK 1 |
| 国外 | guó wài | abroad; external (affairs) | HSK 1 |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface | HSK 1 |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language | HSK 1 |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than | HSK 2 |
| 外卖 | wàimài | (of a restaurant) to provide a takeout or home delivery meal; takeout (business) | HSK 2 |
| 外地 | wàidì | parts of the country other than where one is | HSK 2 |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense); surface | HSK 3 |
| 另外 | lìngwài | additional; in addition | HSK 3 |
| 意外 | yìwài | unexpected; accident | HSK 3 |
| 外交 | wàijiāo | diplomacy; diplomatic | HSK 3 |
| 外文 | wàiwén | foreign language (written) | HSK 3 |
| 外套 | wàitào | outer garment; jacket; coat | HSK 4 |
| 此外 | cǐwài | besides; in addition; moreover; furthermore | HSK 4 |
外 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 外
How many strokes are in 外?
外 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 外 mean?
外 (wài) means outside; in addition; foreign. A common word with it is 外国 (wàiguó), meaning "foreign country".
How do you pronounce 外?
外 is pronounced wài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 外?
The radical of 外 is 夕, which carries the idea of "evening". Dictionaries list 外 under this radical.
Is 外 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 外 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 外国 and 国外?
外国 (wàiguó) means a foreign country and often works like an adjective, as in 外国人 (wàiguórén, foreigner). 国外 (guówài) means abroad as a place, as in 他在国外工作 (tā zài guówài gōngzuò), he works abroad.
How do I use 以外 to say apart from?
Put the thing being excluded before 以外, often with 除了 (chúle) at the front: 除了他以外，大家都来了 (chúle tā yǐwài, dàjiā dōu lái le), everyone came except him. Depending on context it can also mean besides, in addition to.