室外 (shì wài) — outdoors; outside (as a location)

Definition

'Outdoor area' or 'open-air space' — used for places and activities, not the act of going outside. Pairs with 室内 (indoors) as a set.

noun

outdoorsoutside (as a location)

室外，。
shì wài Hěn lěng, jì de duō chuān yī fu.
It's very cold outside; remember to wear more clothes.
室外。
Zhè ge jiào shì de shì wài huó dòng kōng jiān hěn dà.
This classroom has a large outdoor activity space.
室外。
Hái zi men zài shì wài wán.
The children are playing outdoors.

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.

室外 joins 室, room, with 外, outside, to mean outdoors.

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.

宀至室

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀miánroof

Sound part声符shēngfú

至

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

室 puts 宀 (roof) over 至, the spot where someone stops, giving the meaning of a house or residence.

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

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.