海內

海內

1. (literary) within China; the territory within the Four Seas (that were thought to make up the borders of ancient China)

   • 海內之地方千里者九，齊集有其一。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     海内之地方千里者九，齐集有其一。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Hǎinèi zhī dì fāng qiān lǐ zhě jiǔ, Qí jí yǒu qí yī. [Pinyin]

     The territory within the four seas embraces nine divisions, each of a thousand li square. All Qi together is but one of them.

   • 漢興，海內為一。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     汉兴，海内为一。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Hàn xīng, hǎinèi wéi yī. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 海內存知己，天涯若比鄰。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     海内存知己，天涯若比邻。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 650 – 676, Wang Bo, 送杜少府之任蜀州 (Seeing off Vice-prefect Du on the occasion of his appointment to the state of Shu)

     Hǎinèi cún zhījǐ, tiānyá ruò bìlín. [Pinyin]

     When one has a close friend in this world, the far ends of heaven are like next door.

• (the world): 天下 (tiānxià)

• 海外 (hǎiwài)