内

• Pinyin: nèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 内 = 冂 (enclosure) + 入 (enter), meaning to be inside an enclosed space

Meaning

Inside; within. Indicates the interior or inner scope of something.

A formal or written alternative to 里 for expressing 'inside' or 'within'. Often used in compound words: 国内 (domestic), 室内 (indoor), 三天内 (within three days). Also used with time expressions to indicate a deadline or scope. More literary than 里面, which is the everyday spoken form.

Examples

1. 请在三天内完成这份报告。 Please finish this report within three days.
2. 国内旅游的人越来越多了。 More and more people are travelling domestically.
3. 室内温度保持在二十五度左右。 The indoor temperature is kept at around twenty-five degrees.

Usage Guide

Context: written language, time expressions, compound words

Tone: precise

Do Say

• 一周内必须交论文。(The paper must be submitted within one week.)
• 校内不能骑自行车。(Bicycles are not allowed on campus.)

Don't Say

• 我内房间里有一只猫。(Don't use 内 as a standalone preposition before a noun — use 在...里 or 在...内. Say 我房间内有一只猫 or 我房间里有一只猫.)

Origin & History

Originally depicted entering (入) a space enclosed by walls (冂), meaning interior or inside.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal