The Chinese word 内幕 (nèimù), meaning "inside information" or "secret dealings", is a compound noun formed through semantic combination. Its formation is metaphorical and logical: the first character 内 (nèi) means "inside" or "internal", while the second character 幕 (mù) originally means "curtain" or "screen". Thus, the term literally translates to "the curtain on the inside", vividly evoking the image of hidden activities or confidential knowledge that occurs behind the scenes, as if concealed from public view by a curtain, with only those "inside" the curtain being privy to the truth.