外: the kanji for outside
外 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means outside. Below are its readings, 15 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
外 is written in 5 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
外 has 6 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 15 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ガイ (gai)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 外国がいこく · gaikoku | foreign country |
| 外国人がいこくじん · gaikokujin | foreigner |
| 海外かいがい · kaigai | overseas |
| 外出がいしゅつ · gaishutsu | going out |
| 以外いがい · igai | except; other than |
| 意外いがい · igai | unexpected |
| 外資系がいしけい · gaishikei | foreign-affiliated (company) |
| 外食がいしょく · gaishoku | eating out |
| 除外じょがい · jogai | exclusion |
ゲ (ge)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 外科げか · geka | surgery (department) |
そと (soto)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 外そと · soto | outside |
はずす (hazusu)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 外すはずす · hazusu | to remove; to take off |
| 席を外すせきをはずす · seki o hazusu | to step away from one's desk |
はずれる (hazureru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 外れるはずれる · hazureru | to come off; to miss |
| 町外れまちはずれ · machihazure | the edge of town |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 外資系の会社で働いています。Gaishikei no kaisha de hataraite imasu.I work at a foreign-affiliated company.
- 担当者は席を外しております。Tantōsha wa seki o hazushite orimasu.The person in charge is away from their desk.
- 来月、海外出張があります。Raigetsu, kaigai shutchō ga arimasu.I have an overseas business trip next month.
- 外は雨が降っています。Soto wa ame ga futte imasu.It's raining outside.
- 土日以外は営業しています。Donichi igai wa eigyō shite imasu.We're open every day except Saturday and Sunday.
- 天気予報が外れました。Tenki yohō ga hazuremashita.The weather forecast was wrong.
Questions about 外
How many strokes does 外 have?
外 is written in 5 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 外?
The on readings are gai (ガイ), ge (ゲ). The kun readings are soto (そと), hoka (ほか), hazusu (はずす), hazureru (はずれる).
What does 外資系 mean?
外資系 (gaishikei) describes a company in Japan that is owned or backed by foreign capital. You will see it often in job listings.
What JLPT level is 外?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Places and directions
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 外
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.