Japanese kanji 外: outside

The idea

A kanji can have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on); learn each reading with its word. Compare 外（そと） and 外国（がいこく） in the table. 外 has 5 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Examples

• 今日きょうは外そとが寒さむいです。It is cold outside today.
• 外そとで猫ねこが遊あそんでいます。A cat is playing outside.
• お昼ひるご飯はんを外そとで食たべます。I eat lunch out.
• 外国がいこくに古ふるい友達ともだちがいます。I have an old friend in another country.
• 大学だいがくで外国語がいこくごを勉強べんきょうします。I study a foreign language at university.
• 日曜日にちようび以外いがいは店みせが開あいています。The shop is open every day except Sunday.

Watch out

外 is read そと, while 外国 is read がいこく. Learn the reading of each complete word; the character does not have just one pronunciation. 外 means outside; its opposite in this spatial sense is 内, inside. 以外 means “except” or “other than”, depending on context.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 外 in hiragana.

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   そと

   外 is read そと; the expression means “outside”.

2. Write the reading of 外国 in hiragana.

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   がいこく

   外国 is read がいこく; the expression means “foreign country”.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿国（がいこく）.

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   外

   外 completes 外国, read がいこく; the expression means “foreign country”.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 外 from memory, and read 外 and 外国 aloud. Check both the readings and meanings.