Outside in Different Languages
Discover 'Outside' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'outside' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, representing the world beyond our immediate surroundings. It's a concept deeply ingrained in our cultures, often symbolizing freedom, adventure, and discovery. From a young age, we're encouraged to explore the 'outside', fostering a sense of independence and curiosity.
Historically, the 'outside' has been a source of both fascination and fear. Early explorers ventured into the 'outside' world, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and the expansion of human knowledge. Today, the 'outside' continues to inspire us, offering a myriad of experiences that enrich our lives.
Given its importance, you might be interested in knowing the translation of 'outside' in different languages. This can be a fun way to learn a new language and understand the cultural nuances associated with the word.
Here are a few translations to get you started:
- French: 'extérieur'
- Spanish: 'exterior'
- German: 'außen'
- Italian: 'esterno'
- Chinese: '外面' (wàimiàn)
- Japanese: '外部' (soto)
Outside
Outside in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | buite | ||
| The word "buite" is derived from the Dutch word "buiten", which also means "outside". | |||
| Amharic | ውጭ | ||
| In the past, the word "ውጭ" was also used to designate a specific direction, meaning "south". | |||
| Hausa | a waje | ||
| In some contexts, "waje" may also denote a space separating two entities or an intermediary person or position. | |||
| Igbo | n'èzí | ||
| "N'èzí" is said to mean both "outside" and "the forest". | |||
| Malagasy | ivelan'ny | ||
| The Malagasy word "IVELAN'NY" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "*hiwalay", meaning "away". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kunja | ||
| The word 'kunja' also means 'farm' or 'clearing' in Nyanja, referring to a place outside of the village. | |||
| Shona | kunze | ||
| "Kunze" can also mean "in the open" or "in the countryside." | |||
| Somali | bannaanka | ||
| The word "bannaanka" in Somali, meaning "outside", is derived from the verb "bannaan" meaning "to go out". | |||
| Sesotho | kantle | ||
| "Kantle" can also mean on the side or periphery of the group or location. | |||
| Swahili | nje | ||
| In Swahili, "nje" can both mean "outside" and "foreign" | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphandle | ||
| The word "ngaphandle" is also used in isiXhosa to describe the outer, or exterior part of something, like an area or building | |||
| Yoruba | ita | ||
| "Ita" also means "a place of public assembly" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ngaphandle | ||
| In Zulu, "ngaphandle" also refers to the exterior or periphery of something. | |||
| Bambara | kɛnɛma | ||
| Ewe | gota | ||
| Kinyarwanda | hanze | ||
| Lingala | libanda | ||
| Luganda | wabweeru | ||
| Sepedi | ka ntle | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abɔnten | ||
Outside in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | في الخارج | ||
| Hebrew | בחוץ | ||
| In Talmudic Hebrew, "בחוץ" also referred to the non-Jewish world | |||
| Pashto | دباندې | ||
| The word "دباندې" can also mean "foreign" or "external". | |||
| Arabic | في الخارج | ||
Outside in Western European Languages
| Albanian | jashtë | ||
| The word "jashtë" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*yakьtë", meaning "out" or "beyond". | |||
| Basque | kanpoan | ||
| Kanpoan derives from the noun "Kanpo" (outside) and the locative or ablative suffix "-an" (in/at/from). | |||
| Catalan | fora | ||
| "Fora" can also mean "out of" in the sense of excluding something, such as "fora de perill" (out of danger) or "fora de context" (out of context). | |||
| Croatian | izvana | ||
| The word "izvana" can also mean "from the outside" or "on the outside" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | uden for | ||
| "Udenfor" is a compound word formed from "uden" (without) and "for" (door), so it literally means "without the door". | |||
| Dutch | buiten | ||
| The Dutch word "buiten" can also mean "rural area" or "abroad". | |||
| English | outside | ||
| The word "outside" comes from Old English and originally meant "on the outer side". | |||
| French | à l'extérieur | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, "à l'extérieur" can also signify exclusion or alienation in French. | |||
| Frisian | bûten | ||
| The word "bûten" is derived from the Middle Dutch word "buten" which was used to indicate the direction of "outside". | |||
| Galician | fóra | ||
| In Portuguese, "fóra" also means "for", a different word but with the same origin. | |||
| German | draußen | ||
| In German, 'draußen' is also used in informal speech to describe a place outside of the current context or situation. | |||
| Icelandic | úti | ||
| The word "úti" can also mean "from outside" or "outer" when used in compounds. | |||
| Irish | taobh amuigh | ||
| Italian | al di fuori | ||
| "Al di fuori" also means "beyond the established rules or norms" | |||
| Luxembourgish | dobaussen | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "dobaussen" comes from the French word "dehors" which can also mean "outside of home" or "abroad". | |||
| Maltese | barra | ||
| The Maltese word "barra” derives from the Arabic word “bārah”, meaning “open space.” | |||
| Norwegian | utenfor | ||
| "Utenfor" derives from the Old Norse phrase "úti fyrir," meaning "out in front." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | lado de fora | ||
| In Portuguese, "lado de fora" can also be used to refer to the countryside. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taobh a-muigh | ||
| "Taobh a-muigh" can also mean "abroad", "the world outside", and "exile or banishment." | |||
| Spanish | fuera de | ||
| The word "fuera de" can also mean "except for" or "apart from" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | utanför | ||
| Utanför is also used to describe the space surrounding something, as in 'stanna utanför huset', or to indicate the outer part of something, as in 'utanför skallen'. | |||
| Welsh | y tu allan | ||
| The word "y tu allan" also means "external" or "extrinsic" in Welsh. | |||
Outside in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | звонку | ||
| The word "звонку" also means "loud" or "ringing" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | napolju | ||
| Napolju is a compound word made up of the prefix 'na' (on) and the noun 'polje' (field). | |||
| Bulgarian | отвън | ||
| The Bulgarian word "отвън" ("outside") also has the meaning of "from outside" or "from abroad" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *otĭvьnŭ, meaning "other, external" or "foreign, external" and is related to the word "отвирамъ" ("to open"). | |||
| Czech | mimo | ||
| 'Mimo' is also used figuratively to mean 'excluding' (something or someone). | |||
| Estonian | väljas | ||
| In the Livonian language, spoken in Latvia, "väljas" means "inside". | |||
| Finnish | ulkopuolella | ||
| "Ulkopuolella" can be translated to "external" or "outside of something." | |||
| Hungarian | kívül | ||
| The word "kívül" is also used in the sense of 'except', 'excluding' or 'without'. | |||
| Latvian | ārā | ||
| The word 'ārā' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₂erh₃-' ('outside') and is cognate with the Lithuanian word 'laukas' ('field') and the Sanskrit word 'āra' ('space') | |||
| Lithuanian | lauke | ||
| The word "lauke" in Lithuanian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *lewk-, meaning "light" or "shine." | |||
| Macedonian | надвор | ||
| The word "надвор" comes from the Slavic word "*navъnьtрь*", meaning "outwards". | |||
| Polish | na zewnątrz | ||
| The word "na zewnątrz" can also be used to mean "to the outside" or "outwardly". | |||
| Romanian | in afara | ||
| In Romanian, "în afară" can also mean "except" or "apart from". | |||
| Russian | снаружи | ||
| Снаружи is an adverb in Russian, but is etymologically a prepositional case of the noun «сторона» («side») with the preposition «с», meaning «from» | |||
| Serbian | напољу | ||
| The word 'напољу' in Serbian, derived from 'поле' ('field'), also refers to a specific location beyond the immediate surroundings or inside a building. | |||
| Slovak | vonku | ||
| Vonku, meaning "outside" in Slovak, also refers to an outdoor space, like a balcony or patio. | |||
| Slovenian | zunaj | ||
| The Proto-Slavic root of zunaj is *ven-, from PIE *weh₁- “away” or "apart." Indo-European languages also retain its use in the form *e(k)s, as in English “ex-” | |||
| Ukrainian | зовні | ||
| "Зовні" in Ukrainian can also mean "external" or "outwardly." | |||
Outside in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাইরের | ||
| বাইরের (Outside) may also be used as a noun, meaning "an outsider" or "a foreigner". | |||
| Gujarati | બહાર | ||
| Gujarati "બહાર" also means "spring" in Hindi and "outdoors" in other Indo-Aryan languages. | |||
| Hindi | बाहर | ||
| The word "बाहर" can also be used figuratively to mean "beyond" or "except for". | |||
| Kannada | ಹೊರಗೆ | ||
| The word 'ಹೊರಗೆ' also means 'the opposite of inside' or 'beyond the limits'. | |||
| Malayalam | പുറത്ത് | ||
| The word 'പുറത്ത്' ('outside') in Malayalam is also used as an informal greeting or to indicate that someone is not present. | |||
| Marathi | बाहेर | ||
| The word "बाहेर" in Marathi, which means "outside", also has connotations of being "out of the ordinary" or "beyond the expected". | |||
| Nepali | बाहिर | ||
| The word "बाहिर" (outside) in Nepali is also used to mean "outwardly" or "on the surface." | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਾਹਰ | ||
| The word "ਬਾਹਰ" can also refer to the surface of something or the space beyond something. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පිටත | ||
| පිටත can also mean 'other', 'different' or 'apart from'; and එපිට can mean 'beyond'. | |||
| Tamil | வெளியே | ||
| The Tamil word "வெளியே" can also mean "empty", "void", or "exposed". | |||
| Telugu | బయట | ||
| The word 'బయట' can also refer to the exterior or outer part of something, or to the outside world or environment. | |||
| Urdu | باہر | ||
| The word "باہر" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bha-g-" meaning "to divide, separate". | |||
Outside in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 外 | ||
| The character "外" can also mean "foreign" or "other" and is often used in compounds such as "外语" (foreign language) or "外人" (outsider). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 外 | ||
| The word '外' also means 'foreign' or 'external' in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 外側 | ||
| 外側 also refers to the surface of an object or a body of water. | |||
| Korean | 외부 | ||
| The Korean word "외부" (outside) also refers to the external world or matters beyond one's immediate sphere. | |||
| Mongolian | гадна | ||
| The Mongolian word "гадна" also means "abdomen" and "stomach". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အပြင်ဘက် | ||
Outside in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | di luar | ||
| "Di luar" is a preposition that also means "except" or "apart from". | |||
| Javanese | njaba | ||
| The Javanese word "njaba" can also be used to refer to the "outside world" or the "countryside". | |||
| Khmer | នៅខាងក្រៅ | ||
| Lao | ນອກ | ||
| The word Lao word "ນອກ" (nɔ̀ːk) is used to describe geographical locations outside a place, as well as things that are beyond or foreign to a particular context. | |||
| Malay | di luar | ||
| "Di luar" can also mean "beyond the scope or limits of" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ข้างนอก | ||
| ข้างนอก derives from Sanskrit 'kṣetra' (area of land), which in Thai became 'klang' and eventually 'klang nok' or 'khong nok'. The original meaning was 'field' and 'forest' but was extended to 'outside' as the opposite of inside. | |||
| Vietnamese | ở ngoài | ||
| Ở ngoài also means "out of town," "not at home," or "gone out." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sa labas | ||
Outside in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çöldə | ||
| Çöldə can also mean wilderness or desert in Turkish, while in Azerbaijani it has the additional meaning of | |||
| Kazakh | сыртында | ||
| The word "сыртында" also means "on the other side" or "behind" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | сыртта | ||
| The word "сыртта" in Kyrgyz also means "on the plain" or "on the mountain ridge". | |||
| Tajik | дар берун | ||
| Дар берун is of Persian origin and also means “in other countries; abroad”. | |||
| Turkmen | daşynda | ||
| Uzbek | tashqarida | ||
| The word "tashqarida" also means "abroad" and is often used in the context of international travel or business. | |||
| Uyghur | سىرتتا | ||
Outside in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mawaho | ||
| Mawaho is an umbrella term that also denotes 'space', 'a hole', and 'the void' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | waho | ||
| Waho can also refer to a porch or verandah, or the surface of something. | |||
| Samoan | i fafo | ||
| Although "i fafo" usually refers to the outdoors, it also has a figurative meaning of something not of one's concern. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sa labas | ||
| "Sa labas" could also refer to the 'countryside' or a 'rural area', in contrast to "sa loob" which can mean 'inside' or 'in the city'. | |||
Outside in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mistum | ||
| Guarani | okápe | ||
Outside in International Languages
| Esperanto | ekstere | ||
| In Esperanto, "ekstere" originated from French "exterieur" (exterior), where "exter" derives from Latin "extra" (beyond). | |||
| Latin | foras | ||
| The word "foris" in Latin can also mean "abroad" or "in public". | |||
Outside in Others Languages
| Greek | εξω απο | ||
| The Greek word "εξω απο" can also be used to mean "beyond" or "in addition to". | |||
| Hmong | sab nraud | ||
| The Hmong word "sab nraud" can also refer to the outer surface of an object or to a person's exterior. | |||
| Kurdish | li derve | ||
| The Kurdish word "li derve" can also be used to refer to the countryside, wilderness or rural areas. | |||
| Turkish | dışarıda | ||
| "Dışarıda" is also the Turkish word for "abroad" or "foreign". | |||
| Xhosa | ngaphandle | ||
| The word "ngaphandle" is also used in isiXhosa to describe the outer, or exterior part of something, like an area or building | |||
| Yiddish | אַרויס | ||
| אַרויס also means "to take out" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ngaphandle | ||
| In Zulu, "ngaphandle" also refers to the exterior or periphery of something. | |||
| Assamese | বাহিৰত | ||
| Aymara | mistum | ||
| Bhojpuri | बहरी | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޭރު | ||
| Dogri | बाहरी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sa labas | ||
| Guarani | okápe | ||
| Ilocano | ruar | ||
| Krio | na do | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لە دەرەوە | ||
| Maithili | बाहिर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯄꯥꯟꯗ ꯂꯩꯕ | ||
| Mizo | pawn lam | ||
| Oromo | ala | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାହାରେ | ||
| Quechua | hawapi | ||
| Sanskrit | बहिः | ||
| Tatar | тышта | ||
| Tigrinya | ደገ | ||
| Tsonga | handle | ||