内

內

nèi

人 + 冂

HSK 2.0Level 4

HSK 3.0Level 4

Definitions

nèi (noun,adjective) inside; inner; internal

nèi (preposition) within; among

Etymology

Depicts a person (人) inside a building (冂).

About

The modern character 内 (nèi) and its traditional form 內 are ideograms: the component 入 (rù, "to enter"), representing a person, is placed inside 冂 (jiōng), which depicts an open border, an enclosure, or a building. This visual arrangement portrays someone crossing a boundary to enter an interior space, establishing the character's core meaning of "inside" or "interior". It applies to physical locations, organizational contexts, and domestic settings.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

猫在盒子内。

Māo zài hézi nèi.

The cat is inside the box.

我们都在教室内。

Wǒmen dōu zài jiàoshì nèi.

We are all inside the classroom.

他在国内工作。

Tā zài guónèi gōngzuò.

He works within the country.

室内温度很高。

Shìnèi wēndù hěn gāo.

The indoor temperature is very high.

公司内部有会议。

Gōngsī nèibù yǒu huìyì.

There is a meeting inside the company.

请在三天内完成作业。

Qǐng zài sān tiān nèi wánchéng zuòyè.

Please finish the homework within three days.

这个问题需要在团队内部解决。

Zhège wèntí xūyào zài tuánduì nèibù jiějué.

This problem needs to be solved within the team.

尽管国内经济面临挑战，但政府内部依然保持乐观。

Jǐnguǎn guónèi jīngjì miànlín tiǎozhàn, dàn zhèngfǔ nèibù yīrán bǎochí lèguān.

Although the domestic economy faces challenges, the government internally remains optimistic.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 人

Component: 冂

Example Words