KaiwaGo外 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
外 means “outside”. It is written with 5 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ガイ (gai), ゲ (ge). Kun’yomi: そと (soto), ほか (hoka), はず.す (hazusu).
How to write 外 (stroke order)
Write 外 in 5 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 外
Trace 外 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 外
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ガイ (gai)ゲ (ge) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | そと (soto)ほか (hoka)はず.す (hazusu) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 外 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 外
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 外 | そと soto | outside | |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
外 (soto) means “outside”.
外国 (gaikoku) means “foreign country”. Also in this word: 国
FAQ
What does 外 mean in Japanese?
外 means “outside”. Common words with it are 外 (soto, “outside”) and 外国 (gaikoku, “foreign country”).
How many strokes does 外 have?
外 has 5 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 5.
How do you read 外?
The on’yomi is ガイ (gai), ゲ (ge) and the kun’yomi is そと (soto), ほか (hoka), はず.す (hazusu). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 外 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 外 is kanji number 38 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.