外来

• Pinyin: wài lái
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 = 夕 (evening) + 卜 (divination); 来 = simplified from 來, depicting wheat coming to harvest

Meaning

Foreign; external; from outside. Originating from outside a particular place or system.

Used to describe things, people, or influences that come from outside. Common collocations: 外来人口 (migrant population), 外来文化 (foreign culture), 外来物种 (invasive species), 外来词 (loanword). Can have neutral or slightly negative connotations depending on context.

Examples

1. 这个城市的外来人口占了总人口的一半以上。 The migrant population in this city accounts for more than half of the total population.
2. 很多外来文化通过网络影响着年轻一代。 Many foreign cultures are influencing the younger generation through the internet.
3. 外来物种入侵可能会破坏本地生态平衡。 Invasive species may destroy the local ecological balance.

Usage Guide

Context: demographics, culture, ecology

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 外来投资促进了经济发展。(Foreign investment promoted economic development.)
• 这是一个外来词。(This is a loanword.)

Don't Say

• 他是外来的人 — 用'外来人口'或'外地人'更规范，'外来的人'听起来有些生硬

Origin & History

Compound of 外 (outside, foreign) + 来 (to come). Together meaning 'coming from outside.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal