外
Character learning workspace

wài · out, outside, external

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 2.0 · Level 2HSK 3.0 · Level 1Frequency #489
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 外

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 外 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

5Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

夕Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 外 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 外

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

wàiWords pronounced wài
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 外 sits in each complete thought.

Yí gè wài guó rén? nǐ shì nǎ lǐ rén?一个外国人?你是哪里人?

A foreigner? And where are you from?

Source: Tatoeba #871642 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ bù néng dào wài miàn qù.你不能到外面去。

You can't go outside.

Source: Tatoeba #5715119 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ zài wài dì shēng huó le hěn jiǔ.我在外地生活了很久。

I've lived away from home for a long time.

Source: Tatoeba #9518534 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Chú wǒ yǐ wài, suǒ yǒu rén dōu zuì le.除我以外,所有人都醉了。

Everyone was drunk, except for me.

Source: Tatoeba #13109284 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nà shì wǒ zài zhè lǐ de lìng wài yí gè lǐ yóu.那是我在这里的另外一个理由。

That's the other reason I'm here.

Source: Tatoeba #4844844 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā chuān shàng le hēi sè de wài tào.他穿上了黑色的外套。

He put on the black coat.

Source: Tatoeba #848840 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 外 in context

  1. Say wài, then recall the core meaning: out, outside, external.
  2. Write all 5 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 外边 (wài bian), meaning “outside”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 外 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.