国外
guówài · HSK 1
overseas
🌍✈️ 国 = country + 外 = outside → outside the country = overseas
国 means country/nation and 外 means outside or external. Together 国外 literally reads as outside-the-country, the standard term for abroad or overseas. Contrast with 国内 (inside the country = domestic).
国 — enclosure 囗 + jade 玉
国 is a simplified form of 國. The outer 囗 represents borders or an enclosed territory, while the inner 玉 (jade) suggests a treasured realm ruled by a sovereign. The traditional 國 used 或 inside, depicting a guarded region with a weapon, later simplified by replacing it with 玉.
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'.