外面

wài miàn

HSK 2.0 Level 2 HSK 3.0 Level 2 Noun Very common

Definitions

1. outside (also pr. [wài mian] for this sense)
2. surface
3. exterior
4. external appearance

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Get Yearly · $49.99 / year

Continue with Email

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Lifetime for $119.99 Try a practice session

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

内部

nèi bù

interior

Means 'inside' or 'interior'.

Related words

2 items

表面

biǎo miàn

surface

Refers to the surface of an object.

外在

wài zài

external

Relating to external appearance or outward aspect.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

外面 is typically a noun meaning 'outside', not a preposition. Use 在...外面 for 'outside of something'.

Grammar

Guides that feature 外面

Jump into a full guide with fill-in-the-blank drills. Clicking will load the page and move you to the top.

1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 2+ HSK 3.0 Level 2+ 6 min

The Suffix 面 in 上面, 里面, 外面

Add 面 to a direction word to make a full place word like 上面 “on top” or 外面 “outside” that can stand on its own.

Reading: wài miàn Open guide

Example Sentences

5 shown

外面下雪了。

It's snowing outside.

外面下雨了，别忘记带伞。

It's raining outside, don't forget to bring an umbrella.

外面在打雷，我们别出去了。

It's thundering outside, let's not go out.

外面一点动静都没有，太安静了。

There's no movement outside at all; it's too quiet.

外面下着雪，屋里却暖烘烘的。

Outside it's snowing, but inside it's warm and cozy.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 外面

outside

face

外面