对内 (duì nèi) — internal; domestic

Definition

Pairs with 对外: 对内 means 'internal / domestic' (policies, affairs, audience within a country or organization), while 对外 means 'external / foreign-facing'. Not used alone for physical locations (use 里面/内部).

adjective
internaldomestic

Examples

  • 对内。
    Gōng sī de duì nèi zhèng cè xū yào tiáo zhěng.
    The company's internal policies need adjustment.
  • 对内。
    duì nèi Tóu zī zhàn le zhè ge guó jiā jīng jì de dà bù fen.
    Domestic investment accounts for most of this country's economy.
  • 对内。
    Zhè cì huì yì zhǔ yào tǎo lùn duì nèi shì wù.
    This meeting mainly discussed internal affairs.

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.

对duìtoward
内nèiinside

对 means 'toward' and 内 means 'inside', so the word denotes something internal or domestic.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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 →

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