外 wài
“outside; in addition; foreign”
locality wordHSK 2 · 2021 list level 1
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
外 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 212: 外 wài — Level 1; official annotation 1 (名). PDF page 85
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 外
外 means "outside" or "outer." In everyday speech it usually appears in location words like 外面 ("outside") or after a noun, as in 门外 ("outside the door"). A common pattern is 在 + place + 外面, or noun + 外(面).
例句Example sentences
- 外面很冷。wài miàn hěn lěng.It is very cold outside.
- 请在外面等我。qǐng zài wài miàn děng wǒ.Please wait for me outside.
- 门外有一个人。mén wài yǒu yí gè rén.There is a person outside the door.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我外等你。
✓我在外面等你。
外 cannot stand alone as a location word in this pattern; use 在 + 外面 to say where someone is.