外面 wài miàn
“outside (also pr. [wài mian] for this sense); surface; exterior”
locality word2021 list level 3
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
外面 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 447: 外面 wàimiàn — Level 2; official annotation 2 (名). PDF page 91
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 外面
外面 means "outside" or "the outside" and is a location word. It can follow a place noun (学校外面) or appear in patterns such as 在外面 and 外面的天气. It is often pronounced wàimian in speech; 外边 is a common alternative.
例句Example sentences
- 外面下雨了，你带伞了吗？wài miàn xià yǔ le, nǐ dài sǎn le ma?It's raining outside — did you bring an umbrella?
- 我在学校外面等你。wǒ zài xué xiào wài miàn děng nǐ.I'll wait for you outside the school.
- 外面的天气比家里冷多了。wài miàn de tiān qì bǐ jiā lǐ lěng duō le.The weather outside is much colder than inside.
易混词Easily confused
外面vs外表
外表 means someone's outward appearance (looks), not a physical location: 他的外表很年轻 (He looks young), not 他在外表等你.