城外 (chéng wài) — outside the city; suburb | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

outside the citysuburb

Examples

城外。
Tā jiā zhù zài chéng wài.
His home is outside the city.
城外。
chéng wài De kōng qì bǐ chéng lǐ xīn xiān.
The air outside the city is fresher than in the city.
城外。
Hěn duō gōng sī dōu bān dào chéng wài qù le.
Many companies have moved to the suburbs.

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

城 is city and 外 is outside, giving outside the city.

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.

土成城

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔsoil

Sound part声符shēngfú

成

成chéng城chéng

Same sound today

城 pairs 土 (soil) with 成 as a sound part, because city walls were originally made of stamped earth.

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.

Appears in

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