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户外 (hù wài) — outdoors, the open air

Definition

户外 (hùwài) is a noun for outdoor open-air space, used as a set phrase for activities done outside. Unlike 外面 ('outside,' general location), 户外 specifically emphasizes open-air nature, similar to 野外 but more modern and everyday.

noun
outdoorsthe open air

Examples

  • 户外。
    Zhōu mò wǒ men yì qǐ qù hù wài wán ba.
    Let's go play outdoors together this weekend.
  • 户外，。
    hù wài De kōng qì hěn xīn xiān, duō hū xī duì shēn tǐ hǎo.
    The air outdoors is very fresh; breathing more is good for your health.
  • 户外。
    Tā xǐ huan zài hù wài zuò yùn dòng.
    He likes to exercise outdoors.

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.

户hùdoor or household
外wàioutside

'户' means door or household, and '外' means outside, so the word points to the open air.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 戶; 户 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 戶 is a picture of half of a gate. The simplified 户 is a later shorthand, so its shape should not be read as the original parts.

Open 户 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 5Outdoor Recreation

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