n.
other parts of the country; out-of-town place
外地
other parts of the country; out-of-town place
Other regions, out of town, or parts of the country outside one's current city (外 outside + 地 place/land); say 去外地 (go out of town).
Common Usage & Traps
- 外地人 — people from out of town; non-local people
- 去外地 — go to another part of the country; go out of town
- 在外地 — be away from home; be in another city
- 外地朋友 — friends from out of town
- 从外地来 — come from out of town
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外地的地方外地外地 already means an out-of-town place. Adding 的地方 is redundant.
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我明天外地旅游我明天去外地旅游外地 is a place word. When it's your destination, use 去 or 到 before it.
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他是外地的人他是外地人外地人 is the fixed everyday label. 外地的人 is understandable but sounds stiff.
Does 外地 mean 'foreign country'?
No. 外地 means another part of your own country, not abroad.
If you're in China, 外地 is any city or province outside your own. It is not 外国 or 国外. The story sentence contrasts 外地的 with 老北京: out-of-town people versus old Beijing locals. So 外地人 means a non-local Chinese person, not a foreigner.
“现在去那儿的都是外地的，很少老北京。” (Nowadays, the people who go there are all from out of town; very few are old-time Beijingers.)
“现在去那儿的都是外地的，很少老北京。” (Nowadays, the people who go there are all from out of town; very few are old-time Beijingers.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | another city or province inside China (外地) | another country (外国/国外) |
| Person label | 外地人 = non-local Chinese person | 外国人 = foreigner |
| Typical sentence | 他在外地工作。 | 他在外国工作。 (if you mean abroad) |
Can 外地的 mean 'out-of-town people' without adding 人?
Yes. 的 can turn 外地 into 'the out-of-town ones' when the context makes people clear.
Chinese often drops 人 after 外地的 if everyone knows you mean people. 外地人 is the fixed everyday label. 外地的 is shorter and more conversational, like saying 'the out-of-town folks' in English. Don't use it when the sentence needs a clear noun.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday label | 他是外地人。 | 他是外地的人。 (understandable but stiff) |
| Context clear | 来的都是外地的。 | 来的都是外地。 (hangs without 的 or 人) |
Can you say 我明天外地旅游, or do you need 去?
You need 去: 我明天去外地旅游. 外地 is a place, not an action.
外地 is a place word. When it's your destination, put 去 or 到 before it. Without that, the sentence sounds like two nouns crammed together. For location, use 在: 他在外地工作.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Destination | 我明天去外地旅游。 | 我明天外地旅游。 |
| Location | 他在外地工作。 | 他外地工作。 (clipped) |
| Coming from | 他从外地来。 | 他外地来。 (unfinished) |
Is 外地人 rude?
Usually neutral, but in big cities it can hint at 'not one of us'.
外地人 simply means someone from outside the local area. Tone and context decide whether it sounds neutral or dismissive. In Beijing or Shanghai, it can hint at 'not a real local.' Safe options include 从外地来的 or naming the city.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral use | 他是外地人，刚来北京工作。 | 他就是个外地人。 (dismissive tone) |
| Safer wording | 他是从外地来的。 | 外地人 (as a bare label to someone's face) |
| Warm wording | 外地来的朋友 | 外地人 (with a sneer) |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
- Scene #1
现在去那儿的都是 外地 的，很少老北京。
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