wài dì
other places; nonlocal
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我来自外地。
wǒ lái zì wàidì.
I come from out of town.
外地人很多。
wàidì rén hěn duō.
There are many people from out of town.
我要去外地出差。
wǒ yào qù wàidì chūchāi.
I'm going on a business trip out of town.
本地 (běndì)
local
本埠 (běnbù)
local
The Chinese word 外地 (wàidì) is composed of two characters: 外 (wài), meaning "outside" or "external," and 地 (dì), meaning "place" or "land." Together, these characters form the compound word 外地, which literally means "outside place" or "foreign land." In modern Chinese, 外地 is used to refer to a place that is outside of one's hometown or current location. It can also be used to refer to a place that is unfamiliar or foreign.The character 外 (wài) has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). In its earliest form, 外 was depicted as a person standing outside of a house or enclosure. This character was later used to represent the concept of "outside" or "external." The character 地 (dì) also has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the oracle bone script. In its earliest form, 地 was depicted as a piece of land with a tree growing on it. This character was later used to represent the concept of "place" or "land."The compound word 外地 (wàidì) first appeared in the written Chinese language during the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). It was used to refer to a place that was outside of the capital city of Chang'an. In modern Chinese, 外地 is still used to refer to a place that is outside of one's hometown or current location. It can also be used to refer to a place that is unfamiliar or foreign.