外缘 (wài yuán) — (noun) outer edge, rim, periphery; outskirts; (Buddhism) external cause, external condition (opposite of 内缘)

Definition

Literally 'outer edge' (of an object or city's outskirts) and, in Buddhist usage, the external cause or condition that acts on something — paired with 内缘, the internal cause. The contrast with 内缘 is the one to remember.

noun
outer edgerimperipheryoutskirts(Buddhism) external causeexternal condition (opposite of 内缘)
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，外缘。
    Zhè ge chéng shì kuò zhāng hěn kuài, wài yuán yǐ jīng jiàn le xǔ duō xīn lóu pán.
    This city is expanding quickly; many new residential buildings have been built in its outskirts.
  • 外缘，。
    Bō li bēi de wài yuán mó dé hěn guāng huá, bú huì gē shāng shǒu.
    The rim of the glass is ground very smooth and won't cut your hand.
  • 外缘。
    Fó jiào rèn wéi yí qiè xiàn xiàng dōu shì yóu nèi yuán hé wài yuán hé hé ér shēng.
    Buddhism holds that all phenomena arise from the combination of internal and external conditions.

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
缘yuánedge

外 “outside” + 缘 “edge” means the outer edge or periphery.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 緣; 缘 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
彖
彖tuàn緣⁰yuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 緣 puts 糸 (silk) beside 彖, which gives the sound; the simplified 缘 is a later abbreviation.

Open 缘 →

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