外边

• Pinyin: wài bian
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 = outside; 边 = side/edge — 'the outside edge'

Meaning

Outside; outdoors. A location word referring to the exterior of a space.

Interchangeable with 外面 in most contexts. 外边 is slightly more common in northern dialects. Can refer to the outdoors in general or the outside of a specific building or room.

Examples

1. 外边很冷。 It's very cold outside.
2. 孩子们在外边踢球。 The children are playing football outside.
3. 你去外边看看吧。 Go outside and have a look.

Usage Guide

Context: location, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 外边天气怎么样？(How is the weather outside?)
• 我们去外边走走吧。(Let's go for a walk outside.)

Don't Say

• 在外边的学校。(Wrong word order — say 学校外边 to mean 'outside the school'; the reference point comes before 外边)

Origin & History

A compound of 外 (outside) and 边 (side/edge), meaning 'the outside edge' or 'the outer side.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal