內 meaning and stroke order
Inside
How to write 內, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 內
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- inside
- inner
- internal
- within
- interior
How 內 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man 入 entering a door 冂.
Radical: 入 (to enter), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 內
The outer frame 冂 is a doorway, and 入 (rù, to enter) is a person stepping through it. Once you have entered the door, you are inside, 內 (nèi).
內 rarely stands alone in speech. It usually appears in compounds like 內容 (nèiróng, content) and 國內 (guónèi, domestic), or after a time or number to mean "within", as in 以內 (yǐnèi). Example: 三天之內完成。(Sān tiān zhī nèi wánchéng.) Finish it within three days.
Common mistake: Learners often write 人 inside the frame instead of 入, or confuse 內 with 肉 (ròu, meat), which has two 人 shapes inside. Also note that 內 is the traditional form and 内 is the simplified form, which uses 人 inside.
Common words with 內
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 內心 | nèixīn | heart; innermost being; (math.) incenter | HSK 3 |
| 內容 | nèiróng | content; substance; details | HSK 3 |
| 國內 | guó nèi | domestic; internal (to a country) | HSK 3 |
| 內部 | nèibù | interior; inside (part, section) | HSK 4 |
| 以內 | yǐnèi | within; less than | HSK 4 |
| 內科 | nèikē | internal medicine; general medicine | HSK 4 |
| 之內 | zhīnèi | inside; within | HSK 5 |
| 在內 | zàinèi | (included) in it; among them | HSK 5 |
| 內在 | nèizài | inner; internal | HSK 5 |
| 內衣 | nèiyī | undergarment; underwear | HSK 6 |
| 內地 | nèidì | inland; interior | HSK 6 |
| 內外 | nèiwài | inside and outside; domestic and foreign | HSK 6 |
| 內閣 | nèigé | (government) cabinet | HSK 7-9 |
| 內幕 | nèimù | inside story; non-public information | HSK 7-9 |
Characters that contain 內
Learning 內 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 內
How many strokes are in 內?
內 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 內 mean?
內 (nèi) means inside. A common word with it is 内心 (nèixīn), meaning "heart; innermost being; (math.) incenter".
How do you pronounce 內?
內 is pronounced nèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 內?
The radical of 內 is 入, which carries the idea of "to enter". Dictionaries list 內 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 內?
內 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 内, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the opposite of 內?
The opposite is 外 (wài, outside). They often pair up, as in 內外 (nèiwài, inside and outside) or 國內 (guónèi, domestic) versus 國外 (guówài, abroad).
What is the difference between 內 and 裡 (lǐ)?
Both can mean inside, but 裡 is the everyday spoken word, as in 房間裡 (fángjiān lǐ, in the room). 內 sounds more formal or written and appears mostly in fixed words like 室內 (shìnèi, indoors).