古今中外
gǔ jīn zhōng wài · HSK 7
at all times and in all places (idiom)
🌍 古今中外 = ancient + now + middle(China) + outside = all eras, all places
Four-character idiom stacking two contrasts: 古今 (old/now) covers all time, 中外 (inside/outside, i.e. China and abroad) covers all places. Together they mean across every era and every land.
古 — ten 十 + mouth 口
古 is traditionally analyzed as 十 (ten) over 口 (mouth), suggesting words passed down through ten generations — hence 'ancient' or 'old.' Some scholars view the top as a stylized helmet or skull shape in oracle bone forms. The core meaning of 'ancient, old, former times' has remained stable since early Chinese writing.
中 — vertical stroke 丨 through enclosure 口
Pictograph of a banner or pole piercing the center of a target or territory, depicting the idea of 'middle' or 'center'. The horizontal frame represents boundaries, and the vertical line marks the central axis. The meaning extended from spatial center to 'middle, central, China' (中国, the Middle Kingdom).
外 — evening 夕 + divination 卜
Originally a compound of 夕 (evening) and 卜 (divination). Ancient Chinese divinations were performed in the morning; doing them at evening (夕) was considered irregular or 'outside' the norm. From this sense of deviation, 外 came to mean 'outside' or 'external'.