Meaning of 外衣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- outer clothing
- semblance
- appearance
How to use 外衣
外衣 is used literally for a coat or outer garment, and figuratively for a false surface that hides something, often in the pattern 披着……的外衣 (wearing the cloak of...). Example: 外面冷，穿上外衣吧。(Wàimiàn lěng, chuān shang wàiyī ba.) It's cold outside, put on your coat.
外 (wài) means outside and 衣 (yī) means clothing, so 外衣 is the clothing you wear on the outside. Think of it as the layer everyone else can see.
Common mistake: Learners often read 衣 in 外衣 with a neutral tone because of 衣服 (yīfu), but here it keeps its full first tone: wàiyī. Also, do not confuse 外衣 with 外面 (wàimiàn), which means the outside, not a garment.
外衣 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
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
衣 yī · cloth · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 外衣.
| 衣服 | yīfu | clothes |
| 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 |
| 大衣 | dàyī | overcoat; topcoat |
| 外卖 | wàimài | (of a restaurant) to provide a takeout or home delivery meal; takeout (business) |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer |
| 外地 | wàidì | parts of the country other than where one is |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense); surface |
| 另外 | lìngwài | additional; in addition |
Questions about 外衣
What does 外衣 mean?
外衣 (wàiyī) means "outer clothing; semblance" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 外衣?
外衣 is made of 2 characters: 外 (5 strokes), 衣 (6 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 外衣 an HSK word?
Yes. 外衣 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 外衣 and 外套?
外套 (wàitào) is the everyday word for a coat or jacket. 外衣 is a bit more general and formal, and it is the one used in the figurative sense of a disguise or false appearance.
How is 外衣 used figuratively?
It describes a surface that hides the real nature of something, usually something negative. For example, 披着合法的外衣 (pī zhe héfǎ de wàiyī) means hiding behind a cloak of legality.