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局外 (jú wài) — outside (of a situation, group, or event); external to the matter at hand

Definition

Means 'outside (a situation, group, or event)' — the position of someone not involved, like an outsider looking in. Pairs with 人 to form 局外人 ('outsider'); opposite of 局内.

noun
outside (of a situation, group, or event)external to the matter at hand

Examples

  • 局外，。
    Tā shǐ zhōng zhàn zài jú wài, bù cān yù rèn hé zhēng lùn.
    He always stays outside the debate and doesn't participate in any arguments.
  • 局外，。
    Gōng sī jué dìng liú zài jú wài, bù gān shè zhè jiàn shì.
    The company decided to stay outside and not interfere in this matter.
  • 局外，。
    Cóng jú wài lái kàn, zhè ge jì huà bìng bù hé lǐ.
    From an outsider's perspective, this plan is not reasonable.

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.

局júsituation
外wàioutside

局 “situation” + 外 “outside” means outside a situation or group.

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
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù局jú
Same sound today

The shape of 局 pairs 尸, a meaning part, with 句, a sound part.

Open 局 →

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 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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