内向
nèi xiàng · HSK 7
reserved
🐢 内 inside + 向 facing = facing inward, turned toward oneself = reserved
内 means inner/inside and 向 means to face or head toward, so 内向 literally points the personality inward. The same inward-facing logic gives the economics sense: an economy turned toward its own domestic market.
内 — enclosure 冂 + enter 入
内 originally depicted something entering (入) into an enclosed space (冂), giving the core sense of 'inside' or 'within'. The pictographic image of going into a covered area extended naturally to meanings like inner, internal, and inland. It contrasts with 外 ('outside').
向 — roof 宀 + mouth 口
Originally a pictograph of a house with a north-facing window, showing an opening in a wall under a roof. The early meaning was 'north window,' which extended to 'the direction something faces,' then broadly to 'toward' or 'direction.' The modern shape simplified the window into 口.