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里里外外 (lǐ lǐ wài wài) — (noun phrase) the inside and outside; all aspects (of a place or situation)

Definition

Reduplicated form of 里外: 'inside and out' — emphasizes thoroughness across every part of a place or situation.

noun
(noun phrase) the inside and outsideall aspects (of a place or situation)

Examples

  • 里里外外。
    Tā bǎ fáng jiān lǐ lǐ wài wài dōu dǎ sǎo gān jìng le.
    He cleaned the room thoroughly, both inside and outside.
  • 里里外外，。
    Zhè jiàn shì nǐ lǐ lǐ wài wài dōu yào kǎo lǜ dào, bù néng zhī kàn yí miàn.
    You need to consider all aspects of this matter, not just one side.
  • 里里外外。
    Tā chū chāi qián bǎ jiā lǐ lǐ lǐ wài wài dōu ān pái hǎo le.
    Before going on a business trip, she arranged everything at home, inside and out.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

里里inside
里lǐinside里lǐinside
外外outside
外wàioutside外wàioutside

里 and 外 appear twice to cover everything inside and outside.

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.

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 →

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 →

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
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →

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
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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