外

外 (radical 36, 夕+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 弓戈卜 (NIY), four-corner 2320₀, composition ⿰夕卜(GHTV) or ⿰夕⿻丨乀(JK))

• KangXi: page 246, character 2
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5750
• Dae Jaweon: page 487, character 5
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 860, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5916

Historical forms of the character 外
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *ŋʷaːds) : semantic 卜 + phonetic 月 (OC *ŋod).

外

1. out, outside, external

   Antonyms: 裡／里 (lǐ), 內／内 (nèi)

2. beyond, above
3. not of one's own family, clan, locality, school, country, etc.; foreign
4. relatives of one's mother, sister or daughter

   外婆  ―  wàipó  ―  maternal grandmother

   外孫 / 外孙  ―  wàisūn  ―  daughter's son

   外祖父  ―  wàizǔfù  ―  maternal grandfather

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. outside
2. foreign
3. other
4. except

• Go-on: げ (ge, Jōyō)^{←げ (ge, historical)←ぐゑ (gwe, ancient)}
• Kan-on: がい (gai, Jōyō)^{←ぐわい (gwai, historical)}
• Tō-on: うい (ui)
• Kun: そと (soto, 外, Jōyō); ほか (hoka, 外, Jōyō); はずす (hazusu, 外す, Jōyō); はずれる (hazureru, 外れる, Jōyō); と (to)

Appears from roughly the Muromachi period,[1] superseding earlier to reading (see below). Likely a compound of either 背 (so, “back, behind”, ancient reading found in compounds) +‎ 外 (to, “outside”), or 背 (so, “back, behind”, ancient reading found in compounds) +‎ 所 (to, “place”).[2]

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) そ​と [sóꜜtò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][3]
  • IPA^(key): [so̞to̞]

外 (hiragana そと, rōmaji soto)

1. (the) outside

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) ほか [hòká] (Heiban – [0])[1][3]
  • IPA^(key): [ho̞ka̠]

• 他

外 (hiragana ほか, rōmaji hoka)

1. other (things); the rest

• (Irregular reading)
  • (Tokyo) よそ​ [yòsóꜜ] (Odaka – [2])[1][3]
  • (Tokyo) よ​そ [yóꜜsò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][3]
  • IPA^(key): [jo̞so̞]

外 (hiragana よそ, rōmaji yoso)

1. Alternative spelling of 余所

• Kun’yomi
  • IPA^(key): [to̞]

外 (hiragana と, rōmaji to)

1. (the) outside
2. toilet

Middle Chinese 外

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • IPA^(key): [ɡa̠i]

外 (hiragana がい, rōmaji -gai, historical hiragana ぐわい)

1. outside; external
2. except for

From Middle Chinese 外 (MC ŋuɑi^H).

• On’yomi: Goon
  • (Tokyo) げ​ [géꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [ɡe̞]

外 (hiragana げ, rōmaji ge)

1. (Buddhism) non-Buddhist teachings or texts
2. (in compounds) external

• 外 (げ)科 (か) (geka): surgery (as a field of medicine)
• 外 (げ)道 (どう) (gedō): any non-Buddhist religion
• 外 (げ)法 (ほう) (gehō): any non-Buddhist religion; any non-Buddhist teaching

The printed form of this character often differs from its handwritten form; in the latter, the last stroke often does not pass through, as in the printed Chinese form.

外 (eumhun 바깥 외 (bakkat oe))

1. outside
2. oversea
3. surface

• 外國 (외국, oe-guk) : foreign country
• 海外 (해외, hae-oe) : foreign country, overseas country
• 室外 (실외, sil-oe) : outside, outdoor
• 外面 (외면, oe-myeon) : surface, look away
• 外交 (외교, oe-gyo) : diplomacy

外 (ngoại, ngoái, ngoải, ngoài, nguậy)

• This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

• Nôm: ngoái, ngoài, ngoại, ngòi, ngồi

• ngoại quốc (外國)

• Thiều Chửu : Hán Việt Tự Điển Hà Nội 1942
• Trần Văn Chánh: Từ Điển Hán Việt NXB Trẻ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999
• Vũ Văn Kính: Đại Tự Điển Chữ Nôm, NXB Văn Nghệ, Ho Chi Minh Ville