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Choosing Mnemonics

Pick the mnemonic story that sticks best for you by clicking its ☆ — there's no wrong choice, and you'll be able to write your own soon. Then press Continue.

wài = w + ai4
outside / in addition / foreign / external
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How to pronounce 外

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

= w initial

Wu is for Willy Walrus.

By Matthias • updated about 1 month ago
+ ai4 final

In the airplane’s bathroom.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago

外 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

Component Translations
= xi + Ø1
dusk / evening / Taiwan pr. [xi4]
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= bu + Ø3
(bound form) to divine / to forecast or estimate / (of a place to live etc) to choose
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see 蘿蔔|萝卜[luo2 bo5]
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Characters with 外 as component

外 is not used as a component in another character.
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Words with 外

show 617 more
outside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense) / surface / exterior / external appearance
additional / in addition / besides / separate / other / moreover / furthermore
unexpected / accident / mishap / CL:個|个[ge4]

Sentences with 外

wài
miàn
yǒu
yāo
hóu
chuǎng
jìn
gōng
lái

Want to remember 外 for good?

Make it your learning target and MandarinBanana works out the shortest route to it: the two sounds its syllable is built from, then the components of the character itself, one short step at a time. No account needed to start.

wài

outside / in addition / foreign / external

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