里 (lǐ) — inside; interior; within; (of clothing) lining
Definition
里 is the basic 'inside/interior' noun; 里面 is the everyday spoken form used the same way. Most often used after a place word or before a noun with 的.
noun
insideinteriorwithin(of clothing) lining
Easily confused
Examples
- 里。Jiào shì lǐ yǒu yí gè lǎo shī hé yí gè xué shēng.There is a teacher and a student in the classroom.
- 里。Tā de shū bāo lǐ yǒu wǔ běn shū.There are five books in his bag.
- 里。Wǒ jiā lǐ yǒu liǎng zhī māo.There are two cats in my home.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.
Appears in
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