外 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 外 is all about being outside — outside a building, outside the country, or outside a group. You'll meet it in two main roles: as a standalone noun (外, "the outside / outdoors") and as a building block inside lots of compound words about things beyond your immediate circle (外国 "foreign country," 海外 "overseas," 外出 "going out"). The handy payoff is that whenever you spot 外 in an unfamiliar word, you can guess it has something to do with "outside" or "external" — and you'll usually be right.
It's worth pairing 外 in your head with 内 ("inside"). The two are constant partners in Japanese, and learning them together makes both stick faster.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | そと | 外 (outside, outdoors), 外側 (the outer side) |
| kun'yomi | ほか | 外 (other; besides) |
| kun'yomi | はず.す | 外す (to take off, to remove) |
| on'yomi | ガイ | 外国 (foreign country), 海外 (overseas), 以外 (except for) |
| on'yomi | ゲ | 外科 (げか, surgery) — rare |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji, not just this one: the kun'yomi (そと) tends to show up when the kanji stands more or less alone, while the on'yomi (ガイ) appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 外 by itself is そと, but 外国 and 海外 use ガイ. Spotting that pattern early will help you guess readings for kanji you haven't even studied yet.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 5, written left part first then right — start with the 夕 ("evening") shape on the left, then add the 卜 strokes on the right.
- Radical: the radical is 夕 (evening). The old idea is that fortune-telling (the 卜 part) done in the evening happened "outside" the usual time — a loose memory hook rather than a strict rule, but it helps the shape stick.
Recognizing the 夕 on the left is a quick way to tell 外 apart from look-alike kanji at a glance.
Common words using 外
Notice the reading split in action: the lone noun 外 takes そと, while every compound (外国, 海外, 以外, 外出) flips to ガイ. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは外で本を読みます。
ヤッタンは そとで ほんを よみます。
Yattan reads books outside.
外 standing alone — the kun'yomi そと reading.
モチは来年、海外の外国へ行きたいです。
モチは らいねん、かいがいの がいこくへ いきたいです。
Mochi wants to go to a foreign country overseas next year.
Both compounds use the on'yomi ガイ: 海外 (かいがい) and 外国 (がいこく).
先生は「日曜日以外は外出します」と言いました。
せんせいは「にちようび いがいは がいしゅつします」と いいました。
Sensei said, 'I go out every day except Sunday.'
以外 (いがい) and 外出 (がいしゅつ) — both on'yomi ガイ in compounds.
Quick recap
- 外 = outside; 5 strokes; radical is 夕 (evening).
- そと when it stands alone (外); ガイ in compounds (外国, 海外, 以外, 外出).
- Learn it as the opposite of 内 ("inside") to lock both in.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 外 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 外 by itself vs in 外国?
On its own, 外 is the kun'yomi そと ('outside'). In the compound 外国 it's the on'yomi ガイ (外国 = がいこく, 'foreign country'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi.
How many strokes does 外 have?
外 has 5 strokes. Its radical is 夕 ('evening'), which forms the left side of the character.
What's the difference between 外 and 内?
外 means 'outside' and 内 means 'inside'. They're natural opposites, so studying them as a pair makes both easier to remember.
Why does 海外 read かいがい and not かいそと?
Because 海外 is a two-kanji compound, both characters use their on'yomi: 海 (カイ) + 外 (ガイ) = かいがい, 'overseas'. The kun'yomi そと is used when 外 stands alone.