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外在 (wài zài) — external; extrinsic

Definition

Refers to things outside a person or thing — appearance, environment, external factors. Its direct opposite in the curriculum is 内在 (inner qualities); 外来 focuses on origin (foreign, from outside).

adjective
externalextrinsic

Examples

  • 外在。
    Píng jià yí gè rén bù néng zhī kàn wài zài de měi mào.
    You shouldn't only look at external beauty when evaluating a person.
  • 外在。
    Zhè jiàn chǎn pǐn de wài zài shè jì hěn piào liang.
    The external design of this product is very beautiful.
  • 外在。
    wài zài Huán jìng huì yǐng xiǎng yí gè rén de xīn qíng.
    The external environment can affect a person's mood.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

外wàioutside
在zàibeing

外 points outside, and 在 points to being, giving an external existence.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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