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内情 (nèi qíng) — inside information, inside story

Definition

Refers to hidden or non-public facts about a situation — 'the inside story.' Use for details only insiders know, not for classified state secrets (use 机密/情报 instead).

noun
inside informationinside story

Examples

  • 内情。
    Zhè jiàn shì de nèi qíng zhǐ yǒu shǎo shù rén zhī dào.
    Only a few people know the inside story of this matter.
  • 内情。
    Jì zhě huā le hěn duō shí jiān cái dǎ tīng dào nèi qíng.
    The reporter spent a lot of time to find out the inside information.
  • ，内情。
    Tā zuò wéi gōng sī gāo céng, liǎo jiě quán bù nèi qíng.
    As a company executive, he knows all the inside information.

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.

内nèiinside
情qíngsituation

内 means inside, and 情 means situation or matter, so together they describe information kept inside.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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