外界 (wài jiè) — the outside world; external environment | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

外界 means 'the outside world' as an abstract environment or public sphere (外界的声音, 外界的看法). 外部 is more concrete and physical (outer parts of an object); 外地 refers to places, not people or opinions.

noun

the outside worldexternal environment

Examples

外界。
Tā hěn shǎo yǔ wài jiè jiē chù.
He rarely has contact with the outside world.
外界。
wài jiè De píng lùn duì tā yǐng xiǎng hěn dà.
Comments from the outside world have a big influence on him.
外界。
Zhè jiā gōng sī xū yào gèng duō liǎo jiě wài jiè de xū qiú.
This company needs to better understand the demands of the outside world.

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

外 means outside and 界 means world or boundary, so 外界 refers to the outside world.

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

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.

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

田介界

Meaning part形符xíngfú

田田tiánfield

Sound part声符shēngfú

介

介jiè界jiè

Same sound today

界 is built from 田 (field) and 介. 田 carries the meaning, while 介 gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Abstract Concepts

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