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Kotomora

外

outside

JLPTN5StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 100Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • ガイ
  • ゲ

Kun'yomi

  • そと
  • ほか
  • はず.す
  • はず.れる
  • と-

Nanori

  • うい
  • け
  • ふか

Meaning

外 centers on the concept of outside: the exterior, beyond a boundary, or something other than the inside.

Most common words using 外

24 of 1,070
  • 以外いがい
    N4

    excluding; except (for); apart from; other than; besides; in addition to

  • 外そと
    N5

    outside; exterior

  • 外がい

    outside ...; beyond ...; not included in ...

  • 海外かいがい
    N4

    foreign; abroad; overseas

  • 外国がいこく
    N5

    foreign country

  • 外部がいぶ
    N2

    outside (e.g. of a building); exterior

  • 意外いがい
    N3

    unexpected; surprising

  • 外れるはずれる
    N3

    to be disconnected; to get out of place; to be off; to be out (e.g. of gear)

  • 外交がいこう
    N3

    diplomacy

  • 外すはずす
    N3

    to remove; to take off; to detach; to unfasten; to undo

  • 外出がいしゅつ
    N2

    going out; outing; leaving (one's home, office, etc.)

  • 外科げか
    N3

    surgery (branch of medicine)

  • 例外れいがい
    N2

    exception

  • 外側そとがわ
    N3

    exterior; outside; outer; external; lateral

  • 外見がいけん
    N3

    outward appearance; looks

  • 案外あんがい
    N3

    unexpectedly; surprisingly

  • 国外こくがい
    N1

    outside the country; abroad

  • 野外やがい
    N1

    outdoors; outside; open air

  • 外観がいかん
    N1

    outward appearance; exterior appearance; outward show; looks

  • 郊外こうがい
    N4

    suburb; residential area on the outskirt of a city; commuter belt

  • 除外じょがい
    N1

    exception; exclusion

  • 外来がいらい
    N1

    foreign; imported

  • 外人がいじん
    N1

    foreigner (esp. one of European ancestry); gaijin; whitey

  • 外食がいしょく
    N3

    eating out; dining out

Explore all words using 外 →

Study

Etymology

外 combines 夕 (evening) and 卜 (divination). The traditional explanation is that divination was performed in the evening, outside the normal daily activities, giving the sense of 'outside'.

Meaning mnemonic

At evening (夕), a fortune-teller (卜) goes outside to read the stars. The scene of stepping out at night captures the idea of outside.

Reading mnemonic

For ガイ, imagine a guy stepping outside in the evening to do some fortune-telling: guy -> ガイ.