Chinese word

外面

Pronunciation

Pinyinwài miàn

Meaning

  • nounoutside

Example

我们去外面吃吧。wǒ men qù wài miàn chī ba

Let's go eat outside.

Illustration for 外面 (outside)

More examples

外面很冷，记得穿外套。wài miàn hěn lěng jì de chuān wài tào

It's very cold outside; remember to wear a coat.

Core concept

The space or visible side beyond an inner boundary, whether outdoors or on the outside of an object.

Common phrases

  • 在外面zài wài miàn

    outside

  • 到外面去dào wài miàn qù

    go outside

Similar words

外wài: The general area or side beyond an inner boundary.
外边wài biān: The area just outside a place, including its nearby outdoor surroundings.

Definition in Chinese

指与室内或内部相对的外侧、户外空间或事物的外表，用来说明位置、方向或所在状态。zhǐ yǔ shì nèi huò nèi bù xiāng duì de wài cè hù wài kōng jiān huò shì wù de wài biǎo yòng lái shuō míng wèi zhì fāng xiàng huò suǒ zài zhuàng tài

Word origin

The compound 外面 (wàimiàn, "outside") joins 外 (wài, "outer") with 面 (miàn, "side or surface"), linking the area beyond an enclosure with an object's outward-facing layer.

Usage tips

  • English can use outside without a noun after verbs of movement, but Chinese often treats this word as the place itself, a useful pattern in everyday location phrases.

Other meanings

  • exteriornoun
  • surfacenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word