外头

• Pinyin: wài tou
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 = 夕 (evening) + 卜 (divination); 头 = simplified from 頭, depicting a head

Meaning

Outside; outdoors. A colloquial term for the area outside.

Informal variant of 外面 or 外边. Common in spoken Chinese, especially in northern dialects. Used to refer to the area outside a building, room, or enclosed space. Can also mean 'elsewhere' or 'out in the world' more abstractly.

Examples

1. 外头下雨了，你出门记得带伞。 It's raining outside. Remember to bring an umbrella when you go out.
2. 孩子们都在外头玩呢，屋里就剩我一个人。 The kids are all playing outside, and I'm the only one left in the house.
3. 他在外头工作，很少回家。 He works away from home and rarely comes back.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, colloquial, family

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 外头冷，多穿点。(It's cold outside, wear more clothes.)
• 快进来，别在外头站着。(Come in quickly, don't stand outside.)

Don't Say

• 请您到外头等候 — 正式场合用'外面'，外头太口语化

Origin & History

Compound of 外 (outside) + 头 (head, suffix indicating location/direction). The suffix 头 is common in colloquial location words like 里头 (inside), 前头 (in front).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal