Meaning of 外观
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- outward appearance
How to use 外观
外观 usually describes the appearance of objects like products, buildings, cars, or phones, and it often appears in reviews and ads. 这款手机的外观很漂亮。(Zhè kuǎn shǒujī de wàiguān hěn piàoliang.) This phone looks really nice.
外 (wài) means outside and 观 (guān) means to look at or view. 外观 is the view you get from the outside, so it is how something looks on the surface.
Common mistake: Learners often use 外观 for a person's looks, but for people Chinese usually says 外表 (wàibiǎo) or 长相 (zhǎngxiàng). Also keep 观 in the first tone, guān, and do not confuse it with 关 (guān, close) or 欢 (huān) when writing.
外观 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
观 guān · to observe · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 外观.
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country |
| 国外 | guó wài | abroad; external (affairs) |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 观点 | guāndiǎn | point of view; viewpoint |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than |
| 参观 | cānguān | to visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory); to tour; to look around |
| 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 |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense); surface |
| 另外 | lìngwài | additional; in addition |
| 意外 | yìwài | unexpected; accident |
Questions about 外观
What does 外观 mean?
外观 (wàiguān) means "outward appearance" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 外观?
外观 is made of 2 characters: 外 (5 strokes), 观 (6 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 外观 an HSK word?
Yes. 外观 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 外观 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 外观 is written 外觀.
What is the difference between 外观 and 外表?
外观 is mostly used for things, such as a car or a building. 外表 can describe things too, but it is the more common word for a person's outward appearance.
Can 外观 be used as a verb?
No, 外观 is a noun only. To say you look at something from the outside, use a verb like 看 (kàn) or 观看 (guānkàn) instead.