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外 — outside; in addition; foreign

outside; in addition; foreign; external

Pinyin
wài
Strokes
5
HSK level
HSK 1
Handwriting
recognition only

How to write 外: 5 strokes

Each cell adds one stroke to the previous ones, with the new stroke in red. Stroke order is not decoration: it sets the proportions of the character and makes handwriting legible to a reader. The syllabus asks you to recognise this character rather than write it by hand.

外 — 5 strokes, in writing order from left to right.

Build a printable practice sheet with 外

Words with 外 in the HSK syllabus: 52

Every word in the official 2026 syllabus that contains this character, with the level it is introduced at. Learning a character pays off through these: each one combines with the characters you already know.

  1. 外wàioutside; in addition; foreign; externalHSK 1
  2. 外边wàibianoutside; outer surface; abroadHSK 1
  3. 外国wàiguóforeign countryHSK 2
  4. 外面wàimiànoutside; surface; exterior; external appearanceHSK 2
  5. 外地wàidìparts of the country other than where one isHSK 3
  6. 外卖wàimàito provide a takeout or home delivery meal; takeoutHSK 3
  7. 外语wàiyǔforeign languageHSK 3
  8. 以外yǐwàiapart from; other than; except for; externalHSK 3
  9. 此外cǐwàibesides; in addition; moreover; furthermoreHSK 4
  10. 另外lìngwàiadditional; in addition; besides; separate; otherHSK 4
  11. 外出wàichūto go out; to go awayHSK 4
  12. 外套wàitàoouter garment; jacket; coatHSK 4
  13. 格外géwàiespecially; particularly; even more than usualHSK 5
  14. 海外hǎiwàioverseas; abroadHSK 5
  15. 户外hùwàioutdoorHSK 5
  16. 外部wàibùthe outside; external; exterior; surfaceHSK 5
  17. 外公wàigōngmother's father; maternal grandfatherHSK 5
  18. 外观wàiguānoutward appearanceHSK 5
  19. 外婆wàipómother's mother; maternal grandmotherHSK 5
  20. 外形wàixíngfigure; shape; external form; contourHSK 5
  21. 意外yìwàiunexpected; accident; mishapHSK 5
  22. 中外zhōngwàiSino-foreign; Chinese-foreign; home and abroadHSK 5
  23. 海内外hǎi nèiwàidomestic and international; at home and abroadHSK 6
  24. 郊外jiāowàioutskirtsHSK 6
  25. 例外lìwàiexception; to be an exceptionHSK 6
  26. 内外nèiwàiinside and outside; domestic and foreignHSK 6
  27. 外表wàibiǎoexternal; outside; outward appearanceHSK 6
  28. 外交wàijiāodiplomacy; diplomatic; foreign affairsHSK 6
  29. 外界wàijièthe outside world; externalHSK 6
  30. 外科wàikēsurgeryHSK 6
  31. 外来wàiláiexternal; foreign; outsideHSK 6
  32. 外甥wàishengsister's son; wife's sibling's sonHSK 6
  33. 野外yěwàicountryside; areas outside the cityHSK 6
  34. 除外chúwàito exclude; not including sth; except forHSK 7–9
  35. 额外éwàiextra; added; additionalHSK 7–9
  36. 分外fènwàiexceptionally; not one's responsibility or jobHSK 7–9
  37. 古今中外gǔjīn-zhōngwàiat all times and in all placesHSK 7–9
  38. 见外jiànwàito treat sb with the formal courtesy accorded to a host or a guestHSK 7–9
  39. 境外jìngwàioutside bordersHSK 7–9
  40. 外币wàibìforeign currencyHSK 7–9

And 12 more across the higher levels — the full lists are on the level pages.

Glosses come from CC-CEDICT, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, and are the dictionary’s first sense rather than a translation chosen for context.