外文

• 拼音: wài wén
• 汉字拆解: 外 = 夕 (evening) + 卜 (divination); 文 = pictograph of a person with a patterned chest, meaning 'pattern' and later 'writing'

含义

Foreign language; foreign text. Specifically refers to written foreign languages.

Emphasises the written form of foreign languages, as opposed to 外语 which is more general. Often seen in contexts like 外文书店 (foreign language bookstore), 外文资料 (foreign language materials), or 外文翻译 (foreign text translation).

例句

1. 这家书店卖很多外文书。
2. 他能阅读好几种外文。
3. 图书馆里有一个外文阅览室。

用法指南

语境: academic, publishing, libraries

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 你会看外文杂志吗？(Can you read foreign language magazines?)
• 这份外文资料需要翻译。(This foreign language document needs to be translated.)

错误说法

• 我会说外文。(For speaking foreign languages, use 外语 rather than 外文. 外文 emphasises written language, while 外语 covers both spoken and written.)

起源与历史

外 means 'outside' or 'foreign' and 文 means 'writing' or 'literature'. Together they refer to foreign writing or written languages.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal