内乱 (nèi luàn) — civil strife; internal disorder

Definition

A formal/written term for civil strife or internal disorder within a country. Read mainly in history books and news, not everyday speech.

noun

civil strifeinternal disorder

内乱。
Nà ge guó jiā fā shēng le yán zhòng de nèi luàn.
That country experienced serious civil strife.
内乱。
Lì shǐ shū jì lù le hěn duō cì nèi luàn.
History books record many civil strifes.
内乱。
nèi luàn Dǎo zhì hěn duō rén shī qù le jiā.
Civil strife caused many people to lose their homes.

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 points to inside, while 乱 means disorder, so the word names disorder within a state.

Characters in this word

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

𤔔乚亂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

乚Written in full as乙yǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

𤔔

𤔔𤔔亂luàn

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

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.