ngoại
Hanoi [ŋwaːj˧˨ʔ]Huế [ŋwaːj˨˩ʔ]Saigon [ŋwaːj˨˩˨] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
Chinese characters: 外
Meanings of ngoại in English
Adjective
- related to the mother's side of the family
- bên ngoại(people on) one's mother's side of the family
- bà ngoạia maternal grandmother
- quê ngoạimother's birthplace
- in compounds foreign
- hàng ngoạiforeign goods; imported goods; goods bought abroad
Noun
- Southern Vietnam, used as a kinship "pronoun" maternal grandparent
- Ngoại ơi! Con đến rồi nè!Grandpa/Grandma! I'm here!
- Ngoại ơi! Con chích rồi nhé!Grandpa/Grandma! I got my (Covid-19) vaccine!
- in compounds everything foreign
- sính ngoạito love everything foreign, such as foreign goods or foreign language words, especially in an ignorant or tacky way
Preposition
- rare synonym of ngoài (“except for”) ≈ ngoài
Words with ngoại
Synonyms and antonyms of ngoại
Antonyms
Example sentences with ngoại
- Anh ta có năng lực ngoại cảm. He has telepathic abilities.
- Tom và Mary nói là họ có chứng cứ ngoại phạm. Tom and Mary said that they had alibis.
- Ngoại giao không chỉ là ăn nói với những quốc gia thân thiện. Diplomacy is not only about to speak with friendly countries.
- Đã có một trăm năm mươi nhà ngoại giao đã tới tham dự hội nghị đó. A hundred and fifty diplomats came to that conference.
- Hai quốc gia không có quan hệ ngoại giao với nhau trong gần ba thập kỷ. The two nations have had no diplomatic relations for nearly three decades.
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Etymology
Sino-Vietnamese word from 外 (“outside”). Doublet of ngoài. Compare Chinese 外 (wài, “outside; maternal”), Korean 외(外) (oe, “outside; maternal”). A woman once married is considered belonging to a different family, hence the "inside" father's side and "outside" mother's side. See also xuất giá (“to get married”, literally “to "get out" and get married”).
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce ngoại?
IPA: Hanoi [ŋwaːj˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [ŋwaːj˨˩˨]. Tones: ngoại — heavy tone (nặng).
Is ngoại a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. ngoại is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 外.