以外
HSK 3 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)
以外 (yǐwài) · besides
以外 (yǐwài) means “besides; apart from; outside”. It is written with 2 characters: 以 (with) + 外 (outside). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 以外 is built
The characters
以 yǐ · with
What 以 is made of
- 人rén — person
外 wài · outside
What 外 is made of
- 夕xī — evening
- 勹bāo — wrap shape
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 丶 — dot
- 勹bāo — wrap shape
- 卜bo — divination
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丶 — dot
Origin hint: Night-time 夕 divinations 卜; the supernatural, the foreign (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
工作以外，我还学汉语。Gōngzuò yǐwài, wǒ hái xué Hànyǔ.Besides work, I also study Chinese.
学校以外的地方我不熟。Xuéxiào yǐwài de dìfang wǒ bù shú.I don't know places outside the school well.
Questions about 以外
What does 以外 mean?
以外 (yǐwài) means “besides; apart from; outside”.
How do you pronounce 以外?
以外 is pronounced yǐwài.
Which HSK level is 以外?
以外 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Related words
- 可以kěyǐcan
- 所以suǒyǐso
- 以后yǐhòuafter
- 以前yǐqiánbefore
- 以上yǐshàngabove
- 以为yǐwéito think (mistakenly)
- 以下yǐxiàbelow
- 以来yǐláisince
- 以及yǐjíand
- 以内yǐnèiwithin
Learn 以外 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 32: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.