之内 from HSK Level 5 Vocabulary List

The Chinese word 之内 (zhī nèi) is composed of two characters: 之 (zhī) and 内 (nèi). 之 is a versatile character that can function as a pronoun, a possessive particle, or a conjunction. In this case, it functions as a possessive particle, indicating that the following noun is related to the subject of the sentence. 内 means "inside" or "within". Together, 之内 means "within" or "inside of".For example, the sentence "我在房子之内" (wǒ zài fángzi zhī nèi) means "I am inside the house". In this sentence, 之内 indicates that the subject of the sentence (我, "I") is located inside the house (房子, "house").The word 之内 can also be used in a figurative sense to mean "within the scope of" or "within the limits of". For example, the sentence "这件事在我的能力之内" (zhè jiàn shì zài wǒ de nénglì zhī nèi) means "This matter is within my ability". In this sentence, 之内 indicates that the subject of the sentence (这件事, "this matter") is within the scope of the speaker's ability (我的能力, "my ability").The word 之内 is a common word in Chinese and is used in a variety of contexts. By understanding the etymology of this word, HSK learners can better understand its meaning and usage.