Meaning of 对外
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- external
- foreign
- pertaining to external or foreign (affairs)
How to use 对外
对外 often appears before a noun or verb to mean external or foreign-facing, as in 对外贸易 (foreign trade) or 对外开放 (opening to the outside world). It is common in news, business, and government language. Example: 这个博物馆明天对外开放。(Zhège bówùguǎn míngtiān duìwài kāifàng.) This museum opens to the public tomorrow.
对 (duì) means facing or toward, and 外 (wài) means outside. Together 对外 is facing the outside, so it describes dealing with people or countries beyond your own group.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 对外 to mean abroad, but that is 国外 (guówài). 对外 describes a direction of dealing with outsiders, not a place, so say 在国外工作, not 在对外工作.
对外 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.
对 duì · right · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
外 wài · outside · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 对外.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country |
| 国外 | guó wài | abroad; external (affairs) |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 对话 | duìhuà | to talk (with sb); dialogue; conversation |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than |
| 对面 | duìmiàn | opposite; across (the street etc); directly in front of one; up ahead |
| 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 |
Questions about 对外
What does 对外 mean?
对外 (duìwài) means "external; foreign" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 对外?
对外 is made of 2 characters: 对 (5 strokes), 外 (5 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 对外 an HSK word?
Yes. 对外 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 对外 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 对外 is written 對外.
Does 对外 always mean foreign countries?
No. It can mean anyone outside a group, such as the public or other companies. 对外开放 for a park just means open to the public.
What is the opposite of 对外?
The opposite is 对内 (duìnèi), meaning internal or facing inward. They often appear as a pair, as in 对内对外 policies.