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裏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
裏lǐinside, interior, withinzg, 13 strokes, radical 衣, rank #88611, Very Hard
lǐ(li3) T3
  1. 1inside, interior, within
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

裏lǐ(li3)

The character 裏 (lǐ) signifies 'inside' or 'interior.' It is commonly used to refer to the inner part of an object or place, such as the inside of a room or container. This character can convey both physical and abstract notions of being within something.

Strokes13Radical衣Frequency#88611DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese architecture, the concept of 'inside' often refers to the inner sanctum of a home, which is considered a private and sacred space, reflecting the importance of family and personal life in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cozy room with soft lighting and warm colors. The character 裏 has a roof (the top component) and a box shape underneath, suggesting a shelter or a space that holds things within. Visualize this room as the interior of your favorite hideaway, encapsulating the essence of 'inside.'

Meanings of 裏

lǐ(li3)
1inside, interior, within
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 裏

裏Simplified
13Strokes
衣Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 裏

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Podcast: 裏

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 裏

Quick Contrast

里 (lǐ) - use 裏 (lǐ) for more formal or literary contexts, while 里 (lǐ) is more common in everyday speech.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 裏 with similar characters that indicate direction or position, like 里 (lǐ), which means 'village' or 'within a distance.' 裏 is more common in written texts and can appear in both formal and informal contexts. It often pairs with words describing locations or contexts, such as 裏面 (lǐmiàn), meaning 'inside' or 'the interior.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 裏 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to other spatial terms like 里面 (lǐmiàn) and 外面 (wàimiàn). Students should focus on how to use it in sentences to describe locations, enhancing their vocabulary related to direction and position.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 裏 with 里 (lǐ). For example, saying 裏面 (lǐmiàn) when referring to 'within a distance' is incorrect; it should be 里面 (lǐmiàn). Always ensure you use 裏 in contexts related to 'inside' or 'interior.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 裏

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Etymology of 裏

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

A village (里) is an area of land (土) where people have fields (田). In simplified Chinese 里 is also used to mean "inside", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 裡.

Memory Hint

clothes

Semantic (meaning)衣
+
Phonetic (sound)里
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 裏

A village (里) is an area of land (土) where people have fields (田). In simplified Chinese 里 is also used to mean "inside", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 裡.

  1. 1The meaning half衣 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half里 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayclothes
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 裏? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 裏?

Decomposition of 裏

IDS Structure⿻衣里
裏Full Character
=
衣yi1
outer
里li3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 裏?

How to say inside, interior, within in Chinese

“inside, interior, within” in Chinese is裏lǐ

The character 裏 (lǐ) signifies 'inside' or 'interior.' It is commonly used to refer to the inner part of an object or place, such as the inside of a room or container. This character can convey both physical and abstract notions of being within something.

When to use 裏

Be cautious not to confuse 裏 with similar characters that indicate direction or position, like 里 (lǐ), which means 'village' or 'within a distance.' 裏 is more common in written texts and can appear in both formal and informal contexts. It often pairs with words describing locations or contexts, such as 裏面 (lǐmiàn), meaning 'inside' or 'the interior.'

裏 or something close to it

里 (lǐ) - use 裏 (lǐ) for more formal or literary contexts, while 里 (lǐ) is more common in everyday speech.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 裏 with 里 (lǐ). For example, saying 裏面 (lǐmiàn) when referring to 'within a distance' is incorrect; it should be 里面 (lǐmiàn). Always ensure you use 裏 in contexts related to 'inside' or 'interior.'

Write 裏

裏

Practice writing 裏 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 裏

Words Containing This Character20
里lǐinside
这里zhèlǐhere這裏
那里nàlǐthere那裏
哪里nǎlǐwhere?哪裏
里面lǐmiàninside裡面
心里xīnlǐchest心裡
家里jiālǐhome家裡
公里gōnglǐkilometer
英里mile (unit of length equal to 1.609 km)
村里village
手里shǒulǐin hand手裡
夜里yèliat night夜裡
平方公里square kilometer
怀里huáilǐembrace懷裡
嘴里mouth嘴裡
哈里Harry or Hari (name)
阿里Ali (proper name)
里头lǐtouinside裡頭
马德里Madrid, capital of Spain馬德裡
里边lǐbianinside裡邊
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 里 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 裏

The pronunciation is lǐ, with a falling tone. Make sure to emphasize the 'l' sound followed by a slight dip in pitch.

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