外来 Outpatient

Meaning

Primary

Outpatient

Alternatives

Foreign, Imported

Word Type

noun, の adjective

Explanation

From foreign lands, you have come to this hospital. That makes you an outpatient.

外来 describes something or someone that comes from elsewhere. You’ll see it most often in hospitals, where it means outpatient, but it’s also used in formal contexts to talk about foreign species or imported words.

Reading

がいらい

Explanation

This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you'll know how to read this as well.

Context

Common Word Combinations

• 外来を〜

  外来をはじめる

  to start an outpatient clinic

  外来をオープンする

  to open an outpatient clinic

  外来を作る

  to create an outpatient clinic

• 外来〜

  外来カルテ

  outpatient medical records

  外来ロビー

  an outpatient lobby

  外来クワガタ

  a non-native stag beetle

  外来生物

  a non-native species

• 〜外来

  専門外来

  a specialty outpatient clinic

Context Sentences

こちらは、外来クリニックの先生です。

This is an outpatient clinic doctor.

マングースって特定外来生物でしょ？

Mongoose is a designated invasive species, right?

コンペイトウは外来語ですよ。ポルトガル語の「confeito」から来てるんです。

"Konpeitō" is a loanword, you know. It comes from the Portuguese word "confeito."

Kanji Composition

1. 外

   がい Outside
2. 来

   らい Come