国内外 (guó nèi wài) — at home and abroad, both domestic and internati…

Definition

noun

at home and abroadboth domestic and international

国内外。
guó nèi wài De yóu kè dōu lái cān guān zhè ge jǐng diǎn.
Tourists from home and abroad come to visit this attraction.
国内外。
Zhè jiā gōng sī de chǎn pǐn chàng xiāo guó nèi wài.
This company's products sell well both at home and abroad.
国内外。
guó nèi wài De zhuān jiā zài huì shàng jiāo liú jīng yàn.
Experts from home and abroad exchanged experiences at the conference.

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.

内外inside and outside

联合Side by side

The 国 country plus 内外 inside and outside gives domestic and foreign together.

Characters in this word

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

囗或國

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéiclosure

Sound part声符shēngfú

或

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

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

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

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

月

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.