The character 内 — “inside”: how to write it and what it means

内
nèi

inside, inner

4 strokes · HSK 4 · word page

The Chinese character 内 is read nèi and means “inside, inner”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 内

内 has 4 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 内, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

Words with 内

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 内?

内 has 4 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 内 mean?

内 means “inside, inner”. It appears in 内心 (“heart”), 以内 (“within”), 内容 (“content”), 内部 (“inside”).

How do you pronounce 内?

内 is read nèi. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 内 have?

4 strokes.

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More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 内 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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