lǐ biān
inside
里边有很多人。
lǐbian yǒu hěnduō rén.
There are many people inside.
里边很热。
lǐbian hěn rè.
It's very hot inside.
里边有东西。
lǐbian yǒu dōngxi.
There's something inside.
里面 (lǐmiàn)
inside
内部 (nèibù)
interior
当中 (dāngzhōng)
among
外边 (wàibian)
outside
外头 (wàitou)
outside
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The Chinese word 里边 (lǐbian) is composed of two characters: 里 (lǐ) and 边 (biān). 里 originally meant "inside" or "interior", while 边 meant "edge" or "border". When combined, 里边 literally means "inside the border" or "within the boundary". Over time, the meaning of 里边 has evolved to refer to the interior of a place or thing in a general sense. It can be used to refer to the inside of a room, a building, a city, or even a country. 里边 is also commonly used in figurative contexts to refer to the inner workings of something, such as the inner workings of a machine or the inner workings of a person's mind.
