Chinese word

郊外

Pronunciation

Pinyinjiāo wài

Meaning

  • nounsuburbs

Example

他们周末常去郊外散步。tā men zhōu mò cháng qù jiāo wài sàn bù

They often go for walks in the suburbs on weekends.

Illustration for 郊外 (suburbs)

More examples

孩子们在郊外的公园里玩耍。hái zi men zài jiāo wài de gōng yuán lǐ wán shuǎ

The children are playing in a park in the suburbs.

Core concept

A lower-density belt around a city, where homes, open land, and natural spaces replace the dense center.

Common phrases

  • 去郊外旅行qù jiāo wài lǚ xíng

    travel to the suburbs

  • 在郊外居住zài jiāo wài jū zhù

    live in the suburbs

  • 郊外住宅区jiāo wài zhù zhái qū

    suburban residential area

Similar words

近郊jìn jiāo: A nearby suburban area within easy reach for commuting or a day trip.
郊区jiāo qū: An administrative district outside a city's built-up center.
远郊yuǎn jiāo: A distant suburban area with much nature or farmland and few people.

Definition in Chinese

相对于市中心，靠近城市但建筑密度较低且多为住宅或自然空间的地区。xiāng duì yú shì zhōng xīn kào jìn chéng shì dàn jiàn zhù mì dù jiào dī qiě duō wèi zhù zhái huò zì rán kōng jiān de dì qū

Word origin

郊外 (jiāowài, "outskirts") combines 郊 (jiāo, "city outskirts") + 外 (wài, "outside"), linking the historic idea of land beyond a city boundary to the modern word.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this noun occurs in conversations about commuting, housing, and weekend plans, so it can frame both where people live and where they go for a short break.

Other meanings

  • outskirtsnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word