The character 外 — “outside”: how to write it and what it means
outside
The Chinese character 外 is read wài and means “outside”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 外
外 has 5 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 外, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 外
- 外边outsideHSK 1
- 外国foreign countryHSK 2
- 外面outsideHSK 2
- 以外besides, beyondHSK 3
- 外卖takeout, deliveryHSK 3
- 外地another city, out-of-townHSK 3
- 外语foreign languageHSK 3
- 外出go out, be away (from home)HSK 4
- 外套jacket, coatHSK 4
- 此外besides, in additionHSK 4
- 另外besides; otherHSK 4
- 外婆maternal grandmother (south)HSK 5
- 外公maternal grandfather (south)HSK 5
- 外观appearanceHSK 5
- 外形external shapeHSK 5
- 格外especially, exceptionallyHSK 5
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 外?
外 has 5 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 外 mean?
外 means “outside”. It appears in 外边 (“outside”), 外国 (“foreign country”), 外面 (“outside”), 以外 (“besides”).
How do you pronounce 外?
外 is read wài. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 外 have?
5 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 外 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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