HSK Level 5

外界

wài jiè

the outside world; outside

Mobile & Tablet App

Master with Writing Practice

Practice writing with stroke order guidance, audio pronunciation, and interactive exercises in our mobile app.

Step-by-step stroke order animations

Native speaker audio pronunciation

Interactive writing recognition

Practice Now
Character writing practice in mobile app

Example Sentences

Synonyms

Antonyms

内部 (nèibù)

inside

国内 (guónèi)

domestic

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 外界 (wài jiè) literally means "outside world" or "external world". It is composed of two characters: 外 (wài), meaning "outside" or "external", and 界 (jiè), meaning "boundary" or "realm". Together, these characters convey the idea of something that is beyond or outside of one's immediate surroundings or sphere of influence.The word 外界 is often used in contrast to the word 内部 (nèi bù), which means "inside" or "internal". For example, someone might say 外界很危险 (wài jiè hěn wēixiǎn), meaning "the outside world is dangerous", to warn someone about the potential risks of going outside. Similarly, someone might say 内部很安全 (nèi bù hěn ānquán), meaning "the inside is very safe", to reassure someone that they are protected from harm.The word 外界 can also be used in a more abstract sense to refer to the world beyond one's own personal experience or knowledge. For example, someone might say 我对外界一无所知 (wǒ duì wài jiè yī wú suǒ zhī), meaning "I know nothing about the outside world", to express their lack of knowledge or experience with something. Similarly, someone might say 我想了解外界 (wǒ xiǎng liǎojiě wài jiè), meaning "I want to learn about the outside world", to express their desire to gain knowledge or experience beyond their current limitations.In summary, the Chinese word 外界 (wài jiè) means "outside world" or "external world" and is used to refer to something that is beyond or outside of one's immediate surroundings or sphere of influence. It can also be used in a more abstract sense to refer to the world beyond one's own personal experience or knowledge.