Definition
内部 (nèibù) is a formal noun meaning 'interior, inside' — it's used for organizations, systems, or abstract spaces (e.g., company internal, internal structure). In contrast, 里 (lǐ) and 里面 (lǐmiàn) are more general and colloquial for physical locations (e.g., inside a room). 内 (nèi) is a bound morpheme used in compounds (e.g., 国内 domestic), while 里头 (lǐtou) is a colloquial synonym of 里面.
noun
interiorinsideinternal parts
Easily confused
- 南部nán bùlook-alikesouthern part, south
Examples
- 内部。Zhège gōngyuán de nèi bù yǒu yí gè hú.There is a lake inside this park.
- 内部。Gōngsī nèi bù de shìqing bù néng suíbiàn shuō.Internal company matters cannot be discussed carelessly.
- 内部。Wǒmen xūyào liǎojiě chǎnpǐn nèi bù de jiégòu.We need to understand the internal structure of the product.
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