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以外 (yǐ wài) — (noun) outside, beyond (a certain boundary or limit); (in 除了…以外) except for, besides, apart from

Definition

以外 marks a boundary ('beyond / outside of'), almost always paired with a noun or 除了. For plain physical 'outside' use 外 or 外边; for 'except/besides' in 除了…以外, 除了 alone also works.

noun
outsidebeyond (a certain boundary or limit)(in 除了…以外) except forbesidesapart from

Examples

  • 以外。
    Xué xiào yǐ wài de shāng diàn dōng xī hěn pián yi.
    The shops outside the school have cheap things.
  • 以外，。
    Chú le tā yǐ wài, wǒ men dōu huì qù.
    Except for him, we will all go.
  • 以外，。
    Chú le zhōng wén kè yǐ wài, wǒ hái xuǎn le měi shù kè.
    Besides Chinese class, I also chose art class.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

以yǐprefix
外wàioutside

The 以 part adds no meaning here, while 外 supplies the sense of outside, giving 'outside'.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Open 以 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →

Grammar

Appears in
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