Meaning of 外出
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to go out
- to go away (on a trip etc)
How to use 外出
外出 is a slightly formal verb for leaving home or the office, often for errands, work trips, or travel. It shows up a lot in notices, news, and polite speech. Example: 他今天外出办事了。(Tā jīntiān wàichū bànshì le.) He went out today to take care of some business.
外 (wài) means outside and 出 (chū) means to go out, so 外出 is literally going out to the outside. Picture stepping out your door and heading somewhere beyond home.
Common mistake: Learners often use 外出 where casual speech prefers 出去 (chūqù), such as saying 我们外出玩吧 to a friend, which sounds stiff. Also, 外出 does not take a direct place object, so say 外出旅行 or 去北京, not 外出北京.
外出 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
外 wài · outside · 5 strokes
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出 chū · to go out · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 外出.
| 出来 | chūlái | to come out; to appear |
| 出去 | chūqù | to go out |
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country |
| 国外 | guó wài | abroad; external (affairs) |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 出现 | chūxiàn | to appear; to arise; to emerge; to show up |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off; to start (on a journey); (fig.) to proceed from (a particular standpoint or ba |
| 出生 | chūshēng | to be born |
| 提出 | tíchū | to raise (an issue); to propose |
| 找出 | zhǎochū | to find; to search out |
| 出口 | chūkǒu | an exit; to speak |
Questions about 外出
What does 外出 mean?
外出 (wàichū) means "to go out; to go away (on a trip etc)" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 外出?
外出 is made of 2 characters: 外 (5 strokes), 出 (5 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 外出 an HSK word?
Yes. 外出 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 外出 and 出去?
出去 (chūqù) is everyday spoken Chinese and also works as a direction complement, as in 走出去. 外出 is more formal and written, and it often suggests leaving for a purpose or for some time.
What are common phrases with 外出?
You will often see 外出旅游 (go travelling), 外出打工 (leave home to find work elsewhere), and 外出就餐 (eat out). Signs and notices may say 减少外出, meaning reduce going out.