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内线 (nèi xiàn) — planted spy, mole, undercover agent; (military) interior lines; telephone extension line

Definition

内线 is a single word covering three distinct senses: a planted spy inside an organization, the military tactic of 'interior lines' (fighting inside one's own sphere of operations), and a telephone extension line.

noun
planted spymoleundercover agent(military) interior linestelephone extension line

Examples

  • 内线。
    Jǐng fāng zài fàn zuì jí tuán nèi bù ān chā le nèi xiàn.
    The police planted a mole inside the criminal organization.
  • 内线。
    Zhǐ huī guān lì yòng nèi xiàn yōu shì gè gè jī pò dí jūn.
    The commander used the advantage of interior lines to defeat the enemy forces one by one.
  • 内线。
    Qǐng bō nèi xiàn hào mǎ lián xì cái wù bù.
    Please dial the extension number to contact the finance department.

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
线xiànline

A line or channel inside something: 内 means inside, 线 means line.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Crime & PoliceMilitary & Defense

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