外星人

• Pinyin: wài xīng rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 = 夕 + 卜; 星 = 日 (sun/star) + 生 (birth/life) — a bright celestial body; 人 = pictograph of a standing person

Meaning

Alien; extraterrestrial being. A creature from outer space; also used colloquially to describe someone who seems completely out of touch with the mainstream.

Literally 'person from outer stars.' Used both literally (sci-fi, astronomy discussions) and figuratively. Colloquially, calling someone 外星人 suggests they are so unusual or brilliantly unconventional that they seem not to be from this world — similar to 'you're on another planet' in English. Can be a compliment (gifted genius) or gentle teasing (hopelessly out of touch with pop culture).

Examples

1. 科学家们至今还没有发现外星人存在的确凿证据，但对地外生命的探索从未停止。 Scientists have yet to find conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial life, but the search for life beyond Earth has never stopped.
2. 他对流行文化毫无了解，朋友们开玩笑说他简直是个外星人。 He has absolutely no knowledge of popular culture — his friends joke that he's basically an alien.
3. 那部科幻电影里的外星人形象设计非常独特，完全颠覆了传统的绿皮小矮人印象。 The alien character designs in that sci-fi film were highly original, completely overturning the traditional image of small green creatures.

Usage Guide

Context: sci-fi, casual, science, humour

Tone: playful

Do Say

• 他从不刷社交媒体、不看综艺、不追剧，同事都说他像个外星人。(He never uses social media, watches variety shows, or follows dramas — his colleagues say he's like an alien.)
• 如果宇宙中真的存在外星人，他们对人类文明会有怎样的看法呢？(If aliens truly exist in the universe, what would they make of human civilisation?)

Don't Say

• 在正式科学报告中用外星人代替更精确的术语 (In rigorous scientific writing, use 地外生命 (extraterrestrial life) or 外星生物 (alien organisms); 外星人 is informal and implies a person-like being)

Origin & History

Compound of 外 (outside) + 星 (star) + 人 (person). Literally 'person from outside the stars.' A modern compound that gained widespread use as Western science fiction became popular in China.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal