外 (wài) is a Chinese character meaning “outside”. It is written from 夕 (evening) and 卜 (divination), side by side, and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “outside”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
夕 + 卜
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·夕部：外，遠也。卜尚平旦，今夕卜，於事外矣。从夕从卜
Memory aid
Divination (卜) belongs to the early morning. Doing it at dusk (夕) puts you outside the proper time — and 外 means outside.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 外语wài yǔforeign language外 = wàiHSK 3
- 另外lìng wàibesides; in addition; other外 = wàiHSK 3
- 外汇wài huìforeign exchange; foreign currency外 = wài
- 外套wài tàocoat; overcoat外 = wài
- 外婆wài pógrandmother (mother's mother)外 = wài
- 外贸wài màoforeign trade外 = wài
- 郊外jiāo wàithe countryside just outside a city; the outskirts外 = wài
- 野外yě wàithe open country; outdoors外 = wài
Go deeper
All readings
outside
outside; outer; external; foreign; other than
外面的；不属于自己所在范围之内的。也指外国的、别的。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 外语wài yǔforeign language外 = wàiHSK 3
- 另外lìng wàibesides; in addition; other外 = wàiHSK 3
- 外汇wài huìforeign exchange; foreign currency外 = wài
- 外套wài tàocoat; overcoat外 = wài
- 外婆wài pógrandmother (mother's mother)外 = wài
- 外贸wài màoforeign trade外 = wài
- 郊外jiāo wàithe countryside just outside a city; the outskirts外 = wài
- 野外yě wàithe open country; outdoors外 = wài
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 外 mean?
外 (wài) means outside; outer; external; foreign; other than.
How do you pronounce 外?
It is pronounced wài.
What parts is 外 made of?
夕 (evening) and 卜 (divination), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·夕部：外，遠也。卜尚平旦，今夕卜，於事外矣。从夕从卜. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 外 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 外?
夕. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 外?
Common ones are 外语 and 另外. The reading of 外 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.