外 — outside

Grade 2がい, そと, ほか

Radical ⼣ · radical 36 The building block this kanji is filed under

外 (readings: がい, そと, ほか; Japanese kanji) means “outside”. It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 外国 (foreign country).

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What does 外 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	外
Meaning	outside
Readings	がい, そと, ほか
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	外国 (foreign country)

How to read 外

外 is read がい or そと or ほか depending on the word.

Words with 外

外国がいこくnước ngoài
海外かいがいnước ngoài
外国人がいこくじんngười nước ngoài
例外ngoại lệ
郊外ngoại ô
欄外ngoài lề

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Updated: 2026-08-09