外语
HSK 3 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)
外语 (wàiyǔ) · foreign language
外语 (wàiyǔ) means “foreign language”. It is written with 2 characters: 外 (outside) + 语 (language). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 外语 is built
The characters
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)
语 yǔ · language
What 语 is made of
- 讠yán — speech
- 吾wú — I
- 五wǔ — five
- 二 — two strokes
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 五wǔ — five
Origin hint: 讠 gives the meaning, 吾 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
学外语很有用。Xué wàiyǔ hěn yǒuyòng.Learning a foreign language is very useful.
你会说什么外语？Nǐ huì shuō shénme wàiyǔ?What foreign languages can you speak?
Questions about 外语
What does 外语 mean?
外语 (wàiyǔ) means “foreign language”.
How do you pronounce 外语?
外语 is pronounced wàiyǔ.
Which HSK level is 外语?
外语 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021).
Related words
- 国外guówàiabroad
- 外边wàibianoutside
- 外国wàiguóforeign country
- 外地wàidìanother part of the country
- 外卖wàimàitakeout
- 以外yǐwàibesides
- 另外lìngwàiin addition
- 外交wàijiāodiplomacy
- 外面wàimiànoutside
- 外文wàiwénforeign language
Learn 外语 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 26: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.