nèi
noun #26,159

Meanings

  1. 1 inside
  2. 2 inner
  3. 3 internal
  4. 4 within
  5. 5 interior

Examples

HSK 3
Qǐng zài guīdìng shíjiān nèi wánchéng rènwù.
Please complete the task within the stipulated time.
HSK 3
Shì nèi wēndù bǐ shìwài gāo hěnduō.
The indoor temperature is much higher than outdoors.

Tips

usage
is the traditional form; the simplified form is . Both are pronounced nèi. In modern simplified text is standard, while is more common in Traditional Chinese contexts (Taiwan, Hong Kong).

Components

radical
enter; go in
Inside is a pictograph of an arrowhead or wedge pointing downward, the indexing radical. With the frame outside and "enter" inside, the compound-ideograph reads "having entered the borders" - i.e. inside. The simplified substitutes for .
semantic
jiōng
open frame; borders
Outer down-box frame represents a boundary or borders of a space. Distinct from (full enclosure) - is open at the bottom. Here it sets up the spatial frame: the outer container, the walls of a building or vessel.

Stroke Order

nèi