外 Stroke Order — How to Write 外

Stroke Order

外 is written in 5 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 夕, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

外 Radical and Character Components

Components:夕卜

外 is an ideographic compound. Night-time 夕 divinations 卜; the supernatural, the foreign.

Radical: 夕 + 2 more strokes

外 Pronunciation and Pinyin

wài

Meanings of 外 in Chinese

wài外

Outside; external, as opposed to 'inside'.

外面很冷，你多穿点衣服。

It's cold outside, so put on more clothes.

Refers to something or someone not belonging to one's own side, region, or group.

她来这里工作，因为她是外地人，所以不太了解当地的风俗。

She came here to work, and because she is from out of town, she doesn't know much about the local customs.

Refers to 'foreign' or 'external', indicating things, people, or places from other countries.

今天有外宾来访，我们要做好准备。

Today, foreign guests are visiting, so we need to prepare well.

Referring to relatives from the mother's side, such as maternal grandparents, nephews, or nieces.

周末我们会去外公家吃饭。

We will go to my maternal grandfather's house for dinner on the weekend.

Referring to one's wife's parents: 'wàifù' specifically for father-in-law, and 'wàigū' for mother-in-law (an older term for 'yuèmǔ').

我的外父很喜欢钓鱼。

My father-in-law loves fishing.

Refers to 'husband' (as in 'wàizi'), a polite or traditional term used by a wife to refer to her own husband.

外子最近常加班，辛苦了。

My husband has been working overtime a lot lately; he's had a tough time.

Distant; referring to an outsider or someone not closely related.

别把她当外人，她是我们自己人。

Don't treat her like an outsider; she's one of us.

Refers to something unofficial or informal, as opposed to formal. For instance, '外号' (nickname) refers to an unofficial name, and '外史' (unofficial history) refers to historical accounts outside of official records.

因为他总是喜欢穿蓝色衣服，所以大家都给他起了个外号叫‘蓝精灵’。

Because he always likes to wear blue clothes, everyone gave him the nickname 'Smurf'.

A character type in traditional Chinese opera, often referring to 'outer' roles such as wàidàn (elderly female), wàimò (elderly male), or wàijìng (supporting painted-face).

京剧里，外旦通常扮演年长的女性角色。

In Peking opera, wàidàn typically portrays elderly female characters.

Common Words and Phrases with 外

wài外bāng邦

Foreign countries or nations; often referring to non-Jewish peoples in a biblical context.

在那个遥远的年代，村庄里的人们对外邦来客总是充满好奇。

In that distant era, the villagers were always full of curiosity towards visitors from foreign lands.

wài外bì币

Currency of another country.

在国际旅行时，我们需要兑换一些外币。

When traveling internationally, we need to exchange some foreign currency.

wài外biān边

Outside; the exterior part; a place away from home or work.

外边下雨了，我们把窗户关上吧。

It's raining outside, let's close the windows.

wài外biǎo表

The external appearance or look of something or someone.

我们不能只看一个人的外表来判断他的内心。

We cannot judge a person's inner self solely by their outward appearance.

wài外bīn宾

a foreign guest or visitor

这次文化交流活动吸引了许多外宾参加。

This cultural exchange event attracted many foreign guests to participate.

wài外bù部

The outside part or surface of something; external.

这栋建筑的外部装饰非常精美。

The external decoration of this building is very exquisite.

wài外bù埠

other cities or towns

每年都有大量外埠游客来本市参观游览。

Every year, a large number of visitors from other cities come to visit and tour this city.

wài外cái财

extra income or found money

小李靠着晚上做手工，赚了点外财来补贴家用。

Xiao Li earned some extra income by making handicrafts in the evenings to help with household expenses.

wài外cè侧

Outside or outer side.

这本书的封面外侧有一个小小的划痕。

There is a small scratch on the outer cover of this book.

wài外céng层dà大qì气

The outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere, often used as a synonym for the exosphere.

在地球的外层大气中，稀薄的粒子不断逃逸到太空中。

In Earth's outer atmosphere, sparse particles continuously escape into space.

wài外chà差

To combine two different radio frequencies to produce a beat frequency, often a lower frequency signal which is then multiplied and heterodyned to create a desired carrier frequency.

外差接收机通过将接收到的信号频率与本地振荡器频率混合，来产生一个固定的中频信号。

A heterodyne receiver produces a fixed intermediate frequency signal by mixing the received signal frequency with the local oscillator frequency.

wài外chǎng场

Outfield (in baseball/softball) or forestage (in traditional opera).

那个棒球运动员在外场表现出色，接住了好几个飞球。

That baseball player performed excellently in the outfield, catching several fly balls.

wài外chāo钞

foreign banknotes

旅行前，她特意去银行兑换了一些外钞，以便在目的地消费。

Before her trip, she specifically went to the bank to exchange some foreign banknotes for spending at her destination.

wài外chén臣

An official or minister from a foreign or vassal state.

古时，一位外臣带来珍贵的异域宝物，觐见主君，以示两国友好。

In ancient times, a vassal official brought precious exotic treasures to an audience with the sovereign, signifying the friendly relations between the two states.

wài外chū出

To go out; to be away from one's home or office, often for work or an activity.