Meaning of 内
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- inside
- inner
- internal
- within
- interior
How to use 内
内 is mostly used as a bound element in words like 国内 (guó nèi, domestic), 内容 (nèiróng, content) and 以内 (yǐnèi, within). After a time or number it means within a limit. Example: 三天以内完成。(Sān tiān yǐnèi wánchéng.) Finish it within three days.
Picture 内 (nèi) as a frame 冂 with a person 人 stepping inside it. Someone has walked into the room, so the character means inside or inner.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 内 with 肉 (ròu, meat), which has two 人 shapes inside instead of one. Also, in everyday speech for physical location, people say 里面 (lǐmiàn) rather than 内, so 房间里 sounds more natural than 房间内 in casual talk.
内 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
内 nèi · inside · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 内.
| 内心 | nèixīn | heart; innermost being; (math.) incenter |
| 内容 | nèiróng | content; substance; details |
| 国内 | guó nèi | domestic; internal (to a country) |
| 内部 | nèibù | interior; inside (part, section) |
| 以内 | yǐnèi | within; less than |
| 内科 | nèikē | internal medicine; general medicine |
| 之内 | zhīnèi | inside; within |
| 在内 | zàinèi | (included) in it; among them |
| 内在 | nèizài | inner; internal |
| 内衣 | nèiyī | undergarment; underwear |
| 内地 | nèidì | inland; interior |
| 内外 | nèiwài | inside and outside; domestic and foreign |
Questions about 内
What does 内 mean?
内 (nèi) means "inside; inner" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 内?
内 is made of 1 character: 内 (4 strokes). That is 4 strokes in total.
Is 内 an HSK word?
Yes. 内 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 内 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 内 is written 內.
What is the difference between 内 and 里?
Both mean inside, but 里 (lǐ) is the everyday spoken word for physical places, as in 家里 (jiā lǐ, at home). 内 is more formal or abstract and appears in fixed words like 内容 and 国内, or in written notices such as 室内禁烟 (shìnèi jìnyān, no smoking indoors).
What is the opposite of 内?
The opposite is 外 (wài, outside). They often pair up, as in 国内 and 国外 (domestic and abroad), or 内科 and 外科 (internal medicine and surgery).