Meaning of 户外
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- outdoors; (attributive) outdoor
How to use 户外
户外 is a slightly formal word for the outdoors, and it often works like an adjective before another noun, as in 户外运动 (hùwài yùndòng) outdoor sports or 户外广告 outdoor advertising. Example: 周末我们去户外走走吧。(Zhōumò wǒmen qù hùwài zǒuzou ba.) Let's go outdoors for a walk this weekend.
户 (hù) means a door or household, and 外 (wài) means outside. Step out of your door 户 and you are 外, outside, so 户外 is the outdoors.
Common mistake: Learners often write 户 with 尸 or confuse it with 房 (fáng, house), which contains 户 plus 方. Also, do not use 户外 for the outside of a specific object or building. Use 外边 (wàibian) for that, as in 门外边 outside the door.
户外 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.
户 hù · a household · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
外 wài · outside · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 户外.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 外文 | wàiwén | foreign language (written) |
Questions about 户外
What does 户外 mean?
户外 (hùwài) means "outdoors; (attributive) outdoor" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 户外?
户外 is made of 2 characters: 户 (4 strokes), 外 (5 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 户外 an HSK word?
Yes. 户外 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 户外 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 户外 is written 戶外.
What is the difference between 户外 and 外边?
外边 (wàibian) is everyday speech for outside of anything, like a room, a box, or a town. 户外 (hùwài) specifically means the open outdoors as opposed to indoors, and it sounds more formal or descriptive, often used in ads, sports, and weather.
What is the opposite of 户外?
The opposite is 室内 (shìnèi), meaning indoors or indoor. You will often see the pair together, as in 室内和户外活动 (shìnèi hé hùwài huódòng), indoor and outdoor activities.