TongTong
Sign in

外孙 (wài sūn) — daughter's son; grandson (on the daughter's side)

Definition

A family-term noun: the mother's or grandmother's grandson through her daughter (daughter's son). Contrast with the patrilineal line: 孙子 is the son's son, while 外孙 is on the daughter's side.

noun
daughter's songrandson (on the daughter's side)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 外孙。
    Wǒ de wài sūn jīn nián wǔ suì le.
    My grandson (on my daughter's side) is five years old this year.
  • 外孙。
    Tā jīng cháng dài wài sūn qù gōng yuán wán.
    She often takes her grandson to the park to play.
  • 外孙。
    wài sūn Hěn xǐ huan chī nǎi nai zuò de cài.
    The grandson really likes the dishes his grandmother makes.

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
孙sūngrandson

The 外 marks the outside or maternal side and the 孙 means grandson, together naming a daughter's son.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 孫; 孙 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 孫 pairs 子 (son) with 系 (continue), showing a line of descendants continuing. The simplified 孙 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 孙 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.