内 meaning and stroke order
Inside; inner; internal
How to write 内, 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 内
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- inside
- inner
- internal
- within
- interior
How 内 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man 人 entering a door 冂.
Radical: 入 (to enter), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 内
Picture a person 人 stepping in through a doorway 冂. Once they pass through the frame, they are inside, which is what 内 (nèi) means.
内 usually appears in compounds or after a noun or number to mean "within", as in 国内 (guó nèi, domestic) or 三天以内 (sān tiān yǐnèi, within three days). It is more formal than 里 (lǐ) and common in news, signs, and official language. Example: 这本书的内容很有意思。 (Zhè běn shū de nèiróng hěn yǒu yìsi.) The content of this book is very interesting.
Common mistake: Learners often write 人 inside the frame as 入 (rù), because the radical is listed as 入. In the simplified form the inner part is 人, while the traditional form 內 uses 入. Also keep the tone falling, nèi, not něi.
Common words with 内
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 内心 | nèixīn | heart; innermost being; (math.) incenter | HSK 3 |
| 内容 | nèiróng | content; substance; details | HSK 3 |
| 国内 | guó nèi | domestic; internal (to a country) | HSK 3 |
| 内部 | nèibù | interior; inside (part, section) | HSK 4 |
| 以内 | yǐnèi | within; less than | HSK 4 |
| 内科 | nèikē | internal medicine; general medicine | HSK 4 |
| 之内 | zhīnèi | inside; within | HSK 5 |
| 在内 | zàinèi | (included) in it; among them | HSK 5 |
| 内在 | nèizài | inner; internal | HSK 5 |
| 内衣 | nèiyī | undergarment; underwear | HSK 6 |
| 内地 | nèidì | inland; interior | HSK 6 |
| 内外 | nèiwài | inside and outside; domestic and foreign | HSK 6 |
| 内阁 | nèigé | (government) cabinet | HSK 7-9 |
| 内幕 | nèimù | inside story; non-public information | HSK 7-9 |
内 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 内
Learning 内 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 内
How many strokes are in 内?
内 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 内 mean?
内 (nèi) means inside; inner; internal. A common word with it is 内心 (nèixīn), meaning "heart; innermost being; (math.) incenter".
How do you pronounce 内?
内 is pronounced nèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 内?
The radical of 内 is 入, which carries the idea of "to enter". Dictionaries list 内 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 内?
The traditional form of 内 is 內. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 内 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 内 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 内 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 内 and 里?
Both can mean inside. 里 (lǐ) is the everyday spoken choice for physical places, like 房间里 (fángjiān lǐ, in the room). 内 sounds more formal and is preferred for limits, scope, and set phrases, like 一小时内 (yī xiǎoshí nèi, within an hour).
What is the opposite of 内?
The opposite is 外 (wài), outside. They often pair up, as in 国内 (guó nèi, domestic) and 国外 (guówài, abroad), or 内科 (nèikē, internal medicine) and 外科 (wàikē, surgery).