Meaning of 外界
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- the outside world
- external
How to use 外界
外界 often refers to the public, outside opinion, or the environment beyond a group or a person. It is common in news and formal writing, especially in phrases like 外界的压力 (outside pressure) or 外界的看法 (outside views). Example: 他不太在乎外界的评价。(Tā bú tài zàihu wàijiè de píngjià.) He doesn't care much about what outsiders think of him.
外 (wài) means outside, and 界 (jiè) means a boundary or realm, like the line around a field. Put together, 外界 is everything beyond your own boundary: the outside world.
Common mistake: Learners often use 外界 when they just mean physically outside, as in 'go outside to play'. For that, use 外边 (wàibian) or 外面 (wàimiàn), and save 外界 for the outside world, the public, or external conditions.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
外 wài · outside · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
界 jiè · boundary · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 外界.
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country |
| 国外 | guó wài | abroad; external (affairs) |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than |
| 外卖 | wàimài | (of a restaurant) to provide a takeout or home delivery meal; takeout (business) |
| 外地 | wàidì | parts of the country other than where one is |
| 世界 | shìjiè | world |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense); surface |
| 另外 | lìngwài | additional; in addition |
| 意外 | yìwài | unexpected; accident |
| 外交 | wàijiāo | diplomacy; diplomatic |
Questions about 外界
What does 外界 mean?
外界 (wàijiè) means "the outside world; external" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 外界?
外界 is made of 2 characters: 外 (5 strokes), 界 (9 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 外界 an HSK word?
Yes. 外界 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 外界 and 国外?
国外 (guó wài) means abroad, outside your own country. 外界 means outside a person, group, or system, and can refer to people in the same country, such as the public reacting to a company's decision.
Can 外界 be used in science contexts?
Yes. In science and technical writing it often means the external environment, as in 外界温度 (wàijiè wēndù), the outside temperature, or 外界刺激 (wàijiè cìjī), external stimuli.