Meaning of 外语
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- foreign language
Measure word: 門|门
How to use 外语
外语 is a general word for any language that is not your native one, and it often appears in phrases like 学外语 (xué wàiyǔ, study a foreign language) or 外语老师 (foreign language teacher). Example: 你会说什么外语？(Nǐ huì shuō shénme wàiyǔ?) What foreign languages can you speak?
外 (wài) means outside and 语 (yǔ) means language, so 外语 is a language from outside your own country. Think of 汉语 (Hànyǔ) as the language inside China and 外语 as everything that comes from outside.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 外国语 in casual speech when 外语 is the normal everyday word; 外国语 mostly appears in formal names like school titles. Also keep 语 in the third tone (yǔ), not the fourth tone like 外 (wài).
外语 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
语 yǔ · words · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 外语.
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country |
| 国外 | guó wài | abroad; external (affairs) |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface |
| 汉语 | Hànyǔ | Chinese language |
| 英语 | Yīngyǔ | English (language) |
| 语言 | yǔyán | 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 |
| 词语 | cíyǔ | word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense); surface |
| 另外 | lìngwài | additional; in addition |
Questions about 外语
What does 外语 mean?
外语 (wàiyǔ) means "foreign language" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 外语?
外语 is made of 2 characters: 外 (5 strokes), 语 (9 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 外语 an HSK word?
Yes. 外语 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 外语 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 外语 is written 外語.
Is Chinese a 外语 for a Chinese speaker?
No. For native Chinese speakers, 汉语 (Hànyǔ) or 中文 (Zhōngwén) is their own language, and 外语 means languages like 英语 (Yīngyǔ). For you as an English speaker, though, Chinese is your 外语.
What is the difference between 外语 and 语言?
语言 (yǔyán) means language in general, any language at all. 外语 specifically means a foreign language, one that is not your native language.