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暗地里 (àn dì lǐ) — (adverbial phrase) secretly; inwardly; on the sly

Definition

A noun phrase meaning 'in secret / behind the scenes'. It names the hidden state itself, used adverbially; 偷偷 is the plain adverb 'stealthily' placed before a verb, while 暗中 leans toward a setting hidden from view.

noun
(adverbial phrase) secretlyinwardlyon the sly

Examples

  • 暗地里。
    Tā àn dì lǐ zuò le hěn duō zhǔn bèi gōng zuò.
    He secretly did a lot of preparation work.
  • 暗地里。
    Tā àn dì lǐ guān chá zhe duì shǒu de yì jǔ yí dòng.
    She secretly observed every move of her opponent.
  • 暗地里。
    Tā men àn dì lǐ dá chéng le xié yì.
    They secretly reached an agreement.

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.

暗地secret place
暗àndark地dìplace
偏正Modifier + head
里lǐsuffix

The first two parts suggest a hidden place, and the final part turns that into doing something secretly.

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
音
音yīn暗àn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暗 pairs 日 (sun) with 音, which gives the sound.

Open 暗 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.