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内定 (nèi dìng) — to decide behind closed doors; to predetermine internally

Definition

A verb meaning a decision was secretly made in advance by insiders (often an appointment, list, or result) before any public announcement. Negative connotation — implies the public process is just a formality, unlike 公开 or 任命.

verb
to decide behind closed doorsto predetermine internally

Examples

  • 内定。
    Zhè cì bǐ sài de guàn jūn yǐ jīng nèi dìng le.
    The champion of this competition has already been decided behind closed doors.
  • 内定，。
    Gōng sī de xīn jīng lǐ shì nèi dìng de, méi yǒu gōng kāi zhāo pìn.
    The new manager of the company was internally appointed; there was no open recruitment.
  • 内定，。
    Tā men nèi dìng le hòu xuǎn rén míng dān, qí tā rén zhǐ shì xíng shì shàng de.
    They predetermined the candidate list; the others were just a formality.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

内nèiinside
定dìngdecide

内 means inside and 定 means decide; together they mean settling something internally.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 入入rùto enter
  • 冂冂jiōnghouse

The shape shows 入 entering into 冂, a house, so it pictures bringing something indoors, giving the sense inside.

Open 内 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →
Appears in
Management

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