About
The character "外" structurally combines the component "夕", denoting evening, with "卜", representing divination, an etymology that suggests its early association with divinatory rituals performed outdoors at night. From this specific context, its meaning generalized to signify "outside" or "external", and later extended to convey related concepts such as foreign, beyond, or additional. The compound form of the character, comprising these two components, has been used to represent these evolving meanings throughout its history.
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。