局内 (jú nèi) — inside; internal (within a bureau, department, or organization)

Definition

Refers to people or matters inside a specific bureau, organization, or system — i.e., 'insiders' and their internal affairs, as opposed to the outside world.

noun
insideinternal (within a bureau, department, or organization)

Examples

  • 局内，。
    Tā shì jú nèi rén shì, liǎo jiě xǔ duō nèi mù.
    He is an insider and knows many inside stories.
  • 局内。
    Zhè xiē zī liào jǐn gōng jú nèi rén yuán chá yuè.
    These materials are for internal staff reference only.
  • 局内。
    jú nèi De qíng kuàng yuǎn bǐ wài jiè xiǎng xiàng de fù zá.
    The situation inside is far more complex than outsiders imagine.

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.

局júbureau
内nèiinside

局 names a bureau and 内 names inside, so the word points to the interior or internal circle of an organization.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù局jú
Same sound today

The shape of 局 pairs 尸, a meaning part, with 句, a sound part.

Open 局 →

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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