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外星人 (wài xīng rén) — extraterrestrial, alien

Definition

A being from outer space — used for intelligent life forms imagined in sci-fi or UFO contexts. Pairs with 太空, the place where such beings would come from.

noun
extraterrestrialalien
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 外星人。
    Hěn duō rén xiāng xìn wài xīng rén de cún zài.
    Many people believe in the existence of aliens.
  • 。
    Zhè bù kē huàn piàn lǐ wài xīng rén shì yǒu shàn de.
    In this sci-fi movie, the aliens are friendly.
  • 外星人，？
    Rú guǒ wài xīng rén zhēn de lái le, rén lèi gāi zěn me bàn?
    If aliens really come, what should humanity do?

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.

外星outside planet
外wàioutside星xīngstar
偏正Modifier + head
人rénperson

外 means outside, 星 means star or planet, and 人 means person, so 外星人 is a person from outside one's planet.

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 top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

Open 星 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
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