Chinese Dictionary

Usage of the character 裡

lining
interior
inside
internal
also written 裏／里 (lǐ)

the outside and the inside
one's outward show and inner thoughts
exterior and interior

inside story

lining
(fig.) substance (as opposed to outward appearance)

lining

mouth
in the mouth
on one's lips
speech
words

the inside

Daoli, a district of Harbin 哈爾濱／哈尔滨 ( Hāērbin) in Heilongjiang

Caspian Sea

in hand
(a situation is) in sb's hands

inside and out
or so

home

(tender)loin (of pork, beef etc)

daytime
during the day

inner tube (of tire)

Yuanli town in Miaoli county 苗栗縣／苗栗县 ( Miáolìxiàn), northwest Taiwan

inside
interior
also pr. (lǐmian)

there; that place

during the night
at night
nighttime

expert
left-hand side (of a machine)
left-hand side (driver's side) of a vehicle

chest
heart; mind

inside
interior

here

Wanli district of Nanchang city 南昌市, Jiangxi

inner courtyard (in a courtyard house)

inside front cover (sometimes refers to both inside front and inside back covers)

inside

embrace
bosom

privately; secretly; behind closed doors

where?
somewhere
anywhere
wherever
nowhere (negative answer to question)
humble expression denying compliment

straight or circular throwing-knife used by ninja and samurai (loanword from Japanese 手裏剣 shuriken)

Yuanli town in Miaoli county 苗栗縣／苗栗县 ( Miáolìxiàn), northwest Taiwan

all around

secretly; inwardly; on the sly

potherb mustard (Brassica juncea var. crispifolia)

(coll.) (to beat etc) to death

Wanli district of Nanchang city 南昌市, Jiangxi

behind sb's back

all in all
either way

suddenly; unexpectedly

potherb mustard
Brassica juncea var. crispifolia

Daoli, a district of Harbin 哈爾濱／哈尔滨 ( Hāērbin) in Heilongjiang

erhua variant of 裡邊／里边 (lǐbian)

recluse
hikikomori person

variant of 馬德里／马德里 ( Mǎdélǐ), Madrid

(coll.) meek and civil in public, but a tyrant at home

variant of 索馬里／索马里 ( Suǒmǎlǐ)
Somalia

inside back cover

internal strife (family, group, etc)

see 窩裡鬥／窝里斗 (wōlidòu)

(to express one's) true feelings
what is on one's mind
secret mind

beneath the surface; fundamentally; at the deepest level

Maiduguri, city in north Nigeria

xīnlǐyǎngyang

(idiom) to feel a strong urge (to do sth)

hooliganism
rowdyism

unaware of the inner workings
naive
unwitting

xiǎolixiǎoqì

stingy
petty

to work against the interests of sb one derives support from
to double-cross one's employer
to bite the hand that feeds you

amidst the clouds and mist
(fig.) mystified
puzzled

lǐjíhòuzhòng

(medicine) tenesmus

huàlǐyǒuhuà

one's words carry an implicit meaning

hángjiālǐshǒu

connoisseur
expert

bùmíngjiùlǐ

not to understand the situation
unaware of the ins and outs

méngzàigǔlǐ

variant of 蒙在鼓裡／蒙在鼓里 (méngzàigǔlǐ)

huàlǐtàohuà

to use seemingly innocent conversation topics as a pretext to glean information
to touch upon other matters not central to the topic being discussed

(onom.) to crackle and rattle
to pitter-patter

outside appearance and inner reality differ (idiom); not what it seems
saying one thing but meaning sth different

fàngzàiyǎnlǐ

to pay attention to
to care about
to attach importance to

lǐyìngwàihé

to coordinate outside and inside offensives (idiom)
(fig.) to act together

yóubiǎojílǐ

to proceed from the outside to the inside
to see the essence merely by looking at the superficial appearance

zìlǐhángjiān

between the words and the lines (idiom); implied meaning
connotations

chuāizàihuáilǐ

to tuck into one's bosom

(onom.) rustling sound
sound of rain or of sth falling down
in disorder
completely smashed
badly battered
broken to pieces

qūlǐguǎiwān

winding and turning (idiom)

lǐgōuwàilián

to act from inside in coordination with attackers outside
attacked from both inside and out

messy
slovenly
unkempt

inside and out

chuāizàihuáilǐ

to tuck into one's bosom
also written 揣在懷裡／揣在怀里

penetrated
trenchant
incisive

to observe; to take it all in

méngzàigǔlǐ

variant of 蒙在鼓裡／蒙在鼓里 (méngzàigǔlǐ)

méngzàigǔlǐ

lit. kept inside a drum (idiom)
fig. completely in the dark

external appearance and inner thoughts coincide (idiom); to say what one means
to think and act as one

variant of 噼裡啪啦／噼里啪啦 (pīlipālā)

(bird species of China) Pander's ground jay (Podoces panderi)

gaudy
flashy (but without substance)

from the bottom of one's heart
heartily
sincerely

xīnlǐyǒushù

to know the score (idiom)
to be well aware of the situation

mínglǐ'ànlǐ

both publicly and privately; both overtly and secretly; both explicitly and implicitly

sǐlǐtáoshēng

mortal danger, escape alive (idiom); a narrow escape
to survive by the skin of one's teeth

bǎilǐtiāoyī

one in a hundred
cream of the crop

unsophisticated
rustic
uncouth

confused
vague
indistinct
muddle-headed
mixed up
in a daze

to keep in mind; to store in one's heart; to remember perfectly

lǐchūwàijìn

uneven
in disorder
everything sticking out

wǎngnìlǐcǎi

to belittle
to attack sb

foolish
stupid

to have secret motives
to have a guilty conscience

to have a plan in mind

bànbiǎobànlǐ

half outside, half inside
half interior, half exterior

miánlǐcángzhēn

lit. a needle concealed in silk floss (idiom)
fig. ruthless character behind a gentle appearance
a wolf in sheep's clothing
an iron fist in a velvet glove

cónglǐdàowài

from the inside to the outside
through and through
thoroughly

xiàolǐcángdāo

lit. a dagger hidden in smiles (idiom); friendly manners belying hypocritical intentions
when the fox preaches, look to the geese

you're too kind; you flatter me

to take sth to heart
to take sth seriously

máokēnglǐdiǎndēng

茅坑里点灯

[茅坑裡點燈]

(slang) (fig.) to court death (derived from 找死 (zhǎosǐ) via its near homophone 照屎 (zhàoshǐ))

xīnliměiluóbo

心里美萝卜

[心裡美蘿蔔]

Chinese roseheart radish (shinrimei radish), green on the outside, purple-red on the inside, a favorite Beijing vegetable

yīngōulǐfānchuán

阴沟里翻船

[陰溝裡翻船]

to meet with unexpected failure (idiom)
to fail miserably (where failure was not expected)

Dáwūlǐhányā

达乌里寒鸦

[達烏裡寒鴉]

(bird species of China) Daurian jackdaw (Coloeus dauuricus)

ròulànzàiguōlǐ

肉烂在锅里

[肉爛在鍋裡]

lit. the meat falls apart as it stews, but it all stays in the pot (idiom)
fig. some of us may lose or gain, but in any case the benefits don't go to outsiders

jīdànlitiāogǔtou

鸡蛋里挑骨头

[雞蛋裡挑骨頭]

to look for bones in an egg
to find fault
to nitpick (idiom)

ǎizilibájiāngjūn

矮子里拔将军

[矮子裡拔將軍]

lit. choose a general from among the dwarfs
fig. choose the best person available (out of a mediocre bunch)

cuózilǐbájiāngjūn

矬子里拔将军

[矬子裡拔將軍]

lit. to choose a general among the dwarves (idiom)
fig. to pick the best out of a bad group

yěhǎobùdàonǎlǐqù

也好不到哪里去

[也好不到哪裡去]

just as bad; not much better

bǎxīnfàngzàidùzilǐ

把心放在肚子里

[把心放在肚子裡]

(coll.) to be completely at ease

jiǎndàolánlǐjiùshìcài

捡到篮里就是菜

[撿到籃裡就是菜]

all is grist that comes to the mill (idiom)

qíngrényǎnlǐyǒu Xīshī

情人眼里有西施

[情人眼裡有西施]

In the eyes of the lover, a famous beauty (idiom). Beauty in the eye of the beholder

yǎnlǐróubudéshāzi

眼里揉不得沙子

[眼裡揉不得沙子]

see 眼裡容不得沙子／眼里容不得沙子 (yǎnlǐróngbudéshāzi)

qíngrényǎnlǐchū Xīshī

情人眼里出西施

[情人眼裡出西施]

lit. in the eyes of a lover appears 西施 ( Xīshī) (idiom); fig. beauty is in the eye of the beholder

yǎnlǐróngbudéshāzi

眼里容不得沙子

[眼裡容不得沙子]

can't bear having grit in one's eye (idiom)
unable to put sth objectionable out of one's mind
not prepared to turn a blind eye

húlulǐmàideshìshénmeyào

葫芦里卖的是什么药

[葫蘆裡賣的是什麼藥]

what has (he) got up (his) sleeve?
what's going on?

chīzhewǎnlǐ,kànzheguōlǐ

吃着碗里，看着锅里

[吃著碗裡，看著鍋裡]

lit. eyeing what's in the pot as one eats from one's bowl (idiom)
not content with what one already has
(of men, typically) to have the wandering eye

chīzhewǎnlǐ,qiáozheguōlǐ

吃着碗里，瞧着锅里

[吃著碗裡，瞧著鍋裡]

see 吃著碗裡，看著鍋裡／吃着碗里，看着锅里 (chīzhewǎnlǐ,kànzheguōlǐ)

dǎdiàoményá,wǎngdùzilǐyàn

打掉门牙，往肚子里咽

[打掉門牙，往肚子裡嚥]

lit. to swallow one's knocked-out teeth after getting punched in the face (idiom)
fig. to endure bullying or insults stoically