外来 (wài lái) — how to say "foreign" in Chinese

外来

Foreign, external

adjective

Character composition

外

outside

来

to come

Radicals / Keys

夕

Evening

#36 · xī · 3 strokes

木

Tree

#75 · mù · 4 strokes

Collocations

外来词语

wài lái cí yǔ

loanwords

Examples

外来人口在这个城市越来越多。

The foreign population in this city is increasing.

外来文化影响我们。

Foreign culture influences us.

Writing

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Frequently asked questions

Foreign meaning in Chinese

"foreign" in Chinese is 外来 (wài lái).

What does 外来 mean in English?

外来 (wài lái) means "Foreign, external".

How is 外来 pronounced?

It is pronounced wài lái (written as wai lai, wailai). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.

How do you write "foreign" in Chinese characters?

It is written 外来: 外 has 5 strokes, 来 has 7 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.

What HSK 3.0 level is 外来?

外来 is on the HSK 3.0 level 6 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.

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