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里边 (lǐ biān) — inside, interior

Definition

里边 means 'the inside / interior' of a place or container. It is more colloquial than the written 里面, and refers to a bounded space (a room, box, building) rather than a direction.

noun
insideinterior

Examples

  • 里边。
    Qǐng bǎ dōng xī fàng zài lǐ biān.
    Please put the things inside.
  • 里边。
    Fáng zi lǐ biān hěn kuān chang.
    The inside of the house is very spacious.
  • 里边。
    Tā cóng lǐ biān zǒu chū lái.
    He came out from inside.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

里lǐinside
边biānlocative

"里" means inside and "边" gives a spatial sense, together referring to the interior.

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →
Appears in
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