内 (nèi) - inside & inner

内Tone 4

nèi ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 冂

楠念

内 · nèi

inside;

inner;

internal;

within;

refers to domestic or internal affairs.

insideinnerinternal

Usage highlights

InsideDomesticInternal affairsIndoorsInternal organsHeart

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The room is very clean (室内很干净).
  • Domestic news (国内新闻).
  • Internal organs (内脏).
  • Within the company (公司内部).

Collocations

  • Inside(内部)
  • Domestic(国内)
  • Internal affairs(内政)
  • Indoors(室内)
  • Internal organs(内脏)
  • Heart(内心)

Idioms

  • Fierce strife both inside and outside(内外交困)
  • Hard on the outside but soft on the inside(外刚内柔)
  • A house divided against itself(内忧外患)
  • To be soft outside but tough inside(外柔内刚)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese thought, 'nei' (内) often refers to the inner sphere, the family, or the domestic realm, contrasted with 'wai' (外) meaning outside or foreign.
  • The character structure visually represents something enclosed within boundaries.

FAQ