Definition
不外 (bù wài) is a verb-like element that literally means 'not beyond' but is used to narrow down a set or category: 'nothing more than, simply, basically'. You'll see it in the pattern 不外(乎) + noun/phrase, where it marks the following content as the whole picture — equivalent to 'boils down to', 'is just', or 'is no more than'. It often introduces a summary. The particle 乎 can optionally follow without changing the meaning.
v
to be nothing more thanto boil down tosimplybasically
Examples
- ：。Shībài de yuányīn bù wài hū liǎng diǎn: zhǔnbèi bùzú hé jīngyàn bú gòu.The reasons for failure boil down to two points: insufficient preparation and lack of experience.
- 不外。Tā de yāoqiú bù wài jǐ ge jīběn tiáojiàn.His demands are nothing more than a few basic conditions.
- ，不外。Suǒwèi kēxué fāngfǎ, bù wài shí shì qiú shì éryǐ.The so-called scientific method is simply seeking truth from facts.
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