外に
soto ni
The English word "out" can be translated into Japanese as 外に (soto ni), meaning away from one's usual place or not indoors. Wiktionary also lists 留主 (rusu).
Meaning: away from one's usual place or not indoors (adv)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 外に | soto ni |
| 留主 | rusu |
You may also see the related form 外へ, which is a common alternative used when the focus is specifically on the direction of movement toward the outside.
Which one should you use?
While 外に functions as an adverbial phrase meaning "to the outside", the bare noun 外 simply means "the outside" or "outdoors".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone has already gone out, use the past tense form of the verb 出る, such as 外へ出た. The phrase 外に出る combines the concept of outside with the verb 出る (to go out/to exit).
How do you pronounce it?
soto ni
Did you know?
- The word 外 (soto) is often paired with 内 (uchi), reflecting a deep cultural distinction between 'inside' and 'outside' groups. This applies not just to buildings, but to family, company, and social circles.
- When referring to people from other countries, Japanese uses the word 外 in 外国人 (gaikokujin). This literally translates to 'outside-country person'.
- In Japanese baseball, the English word 'out' is used directly as a loanword, written as アウト (auto). It is used exactly as it is in English to signal a player is out.
Examples in context
- 外に出て遊ぼう。Let's go out and play.This sentence is useful for suggesting an activity involving going out with 外に.Tatoeba #10919722 by SomeHungryBois, translation #6666786 by CK
- ごみを外に出して。Take the garbage out.This sentence is useful for requesting the movement of items toward the outside with 外に.Tatoeba #4213360 by small_snow, translation #1841187 by CK
- 外に出たくないんだ。I don't want to go out.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of desire to go out with 外に.Tatoeba #9969757 by bunbuku, translation #256628 by CK
- 今晩、出かけるの？Are you going out this evening?
- 散歩に出かけます。I'll go out for a walk.
- 彼女は食料品を買いに外出しました。She went out to buy groceries.
- 建物から出る必要があります。We need to go out of the building.
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking in the living room.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんは今、外にいますか？Hiroto-san wa ima, soto ni imasu ka?Is Hiroto out right now?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、外に買い物に行っています。Hai, soto ni kaimono ni itte imasu.Yes, he is out shopping.
- 美咲 Misakiそうなんですね。いつ戻りますか？Sō nan desu ne. Itsu modorimasu ka?I see. When will he be back?
- 大翔 Hirotoもうすぐ戻ってくると思います。Mōsugu modotte kuru to omoimasu.I think he will be back soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “out” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
