Chinese word

内

Pronunciation

Pinyinnèi

Meaning

  • nounwithin

Example

请在一周内给我答复。qǐng zài yì zhōu nèi gěi wǒ dá fù

Please reply to me within a week.

Illustration for 内 (within)

More examples

请在三天内把资料寄到我这里。qǐng zài sān tiān nèi bǎ zī liào jì dào wǒ zhè lǐ

Please send the materials to me within three days.

Core concept

A position held inside a defined space, range, or period rather than beyond its edge.

Common phrases

  • 一周内yì zhōu nèi

    within a week

  • 三天内sān tiān nèi

    within three days

  • 以内yǐ nèi

    within

Similar words

里lǐ: The inside or interior of a place or thing in everyday speech and writing.
里面lǐ miàn: The inside part of a concrete place or object, especially in conversational speech.
内部nèi bù: The inner part or internal side of an object or organization, mainly in written language.

Definition in Chinese

表示事物的里侧、内部或某一限定范围之内，可指具体的里面，也可指抽象的范围。biǎo shì shì wù de lǐ cè nèi bù huò mǒu yí xiàn dìng fàn wéi zhī nèi kě zhǐ jù tǐ de lǐ miàn yě kě zhǐ chōu xiàng de fàn wéi

Word origin

The traditional form behind 内 (nèi, "inside") places 入 (rù, "enter") within 冂 (jiōng, "enclosure"), linking the word's written history to entering a bounded space.

Usage tips

  • In deadline expressions, Chinese places the time period before 内 (nèi, "inside"), so the pattern is a duration followed by the word rather than an English-style preposition before the duration.

Other meanings

  • interiornoun
  • insidenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word