About
The character "外", meaning outside or external, originates from its compositional elements of 夕, representing evening, and 卜, representing divination, which together initially suggested the practice of divination conducted at night, an activity considered beyond the ordinary daylight sphere. This specific etymological foundation gradually broadened to encompass the general notion of exteriority, leading to its application in denoting physical outsideness, while its semantic range expanded over time to include metaphorical extensions such as foreign matters, external relations, and concepts of exclusion or otherness. Throughout its historical usage, the character's structural form has remained consistent, and its conceptual evolution reflects a shift from referencing a particular ritual practice to classifying a wide array of spatial and relational abstractions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我在外面等你。
他来自外国。
外面下雨了。
他在外地工作。
我们计划去国外旅行。
除了学习，他还有课外活动。
这个问题涉及外交政策。
在意外事故发生之后，公司加强了安全管理。