海内 (hǎi nèi) — within the country; throughout China (literary); the world (in classical contexts)

Definition

Literary/classical phrase meaning 'throughout the country' or 'within the realm' — the four seas (四海) was the old name for China, so 海内 = 'inside the four seas' = 'all within our land'.

noun
within the countrythroughout China (literary)the world (in classical contexts)

Examples

  • 海内，。
    hǎi nèi Zhī jǐ, tiān yá ruò bǐ lín.
    A bosom friend within the four seas brings a distant land near.
  • 海内，。
    hǎi nèi Shēng píng, bǎi xìng ān jū lè yè.
    The country is peaceful, and the people live and work in contentment.
  • 海内。
    Zhè wèi shī rén de zuò pǐn chuán biàn hǎi nèi.
    This poet's works spread throughout the country.

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.

海hǎisea
内nèiwithin

海 (sea) and 内 (within) mean the world or country within the seas.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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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