外国

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 外国 (wàiguó) for "foreign country" is composed of two characters: 外 (wài), meaning "outside" or "external," and 国 (guó), meaning "country" or "nation." Together, these characters convey the idea of a country that is outside of one's own.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, the character depicted a person standing outside of a house, symbolizing the concept of "outside" or "external." Over time, the character evolved to its current form, which is composed of the radical 门 (mén), meaning "door," and the phonetic component 韦 (wéi).The character 国 (guó) also has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty. In its earliest form, the character depicted a walled city, symbolizing the concept of a "country" or "nation." Over time, the character evolved to its current form, which is composed of the radical 囗 (wéi), meaning "enclosure," and the phonetic component 玉 (yù), meaning "jade."When combined, the characters 外 (wài) and 国 (guó) form the word 外国 (wàiguó), which means "foreign country." This word is used to refer to any country that is not one's own, and it is often used in contrast to the word 中国 (zhōngguó), which means "China."