外
outside; outer; foreign
wài
What does 外 mean?
外 (wài) is the location word for 'outside' or 'outer,' the opposite of 内 (nèi) and 里 (lǐ). It rarely stands alone — it almost always combines with another character to specify where: 外面 (wàimiàn, outside), 外边 (wàibian, outside), 国外 (guówài, abroad/overseas), 外国 (wàiguó, foreign country), 外人 (wàirén, outsider). When following a noun, it indicates 'outside (the noun)': 教室外 (outside the classroom), 屋外 (outside the room). 外 also carries the metaphorical sense of 'foreign' or 'not from here' — 外国人 (wàiguórén) means 'foreigner.' The character is one of the oldest in Chinese, originally combining 夕 (evening) and 卜 (divination), since divination at night was 'outside' the normal time. For 'outside' as a standalone location in conversation, native speakers prefer 外面 over bare 外.
Character breakdown
outside; outer; foreign
Memory hook: 外 = 夕 (evening) + 卜 (divination) — divinations done at night, 'outside' normal hours. Today it just means 'outside.'
Example sentences
外面下雨了，带把伞吧。
Wàimiàn xià yǔ le, dài bǎ sǎn ba.
It's raining outside, bring an umbrella.
spoken
我哥哥在国外工作。
Wǒ gēge zài guówài gōngzuò.
My older brother works abroad.
neutral
他是外国人，但是会说中文。
Tā shì wàiguórén, dànshì huì shuō Zhōngwén.
He's a foreigner, but he can speak Chinese.
neutral
我们在教室外等你。
Wǒmen zài jiàoshì wài děng nǐ.
We'll wait for you outside the classroom.
neutral
学好一门外语很重要。
Xué hǎo yì mén wàiyǔ hěn zhòngyào.
Mastering a foreign language is important.
neutral
Common phrases with 外
Synonyms
外面 is the standalone noun for 'outside' that you actually use in conversation: 外面在下雨 ('it's raining outside'). 外 alone is rarely used by itself — it's a building block for compounds.
外边 is interchangeable with 外面 — both mean 'outside' as a location. 外边 is slightly more colloquial in northern Mandarin; 外面 is more universal.
Don't confuse 外 with
外面 is the conversational noun 'outside.' 外 alone needs to be in a compound or follow a noun. Don't say 我在外, say 我在外面.
另外 means 'additionally; besides.' Same 外 character but the meaning shifts in this compound. 另外一个 = 'another one.'
意外 means 'accident; unexpected.' Literally 'outside of intention.' Same 外 character, but the compound meaning is metaphorical, not spatial.