外地

• Pinyin: wài dì
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 = 夕 (evening) + 卜 (divination) — outside; 地 = 土 (earth) + 也 (phonetic) — place, land

Meaning

Other places; non-local areas. Places outside one's hometown or current city.

Used to describe places away from where one currently lives or originates. The opposite is 本地 (local). 外地人 means someone from out of town. Commonly used when discussing travel, work migration, and regional differences in China.

Examples

1. 他从外地来北京工作。 He came from out of town to work in Beijing.
2. 很多外地人在这里生活。 Many people from other places live here.
3. 过年的时候外地的人都回家了。 During the New Year, people from out of town all go home.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, migration, regional identity

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他是外地人，刚来这个城市。(He's from out of town, just arrived in this city.)
• 外地的天气和这里不一样。(The weather in other places is different from here.)

Don't Say

• 我去外地了，就在隔壁房间 (Don't use 外地 for short distances — it means a different city or region, not a nearby location)

Origin & History

外 (wài, outside) + 地 (dì, place/land). A place that is outside — i.e., not one's local area.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal