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字裡行間

简字里行间 · 繁字裡行間

Mandarin · pinyin zì lǐ háng jiān

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

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Characters in this entry

字: zì · letter, character, word
裡: Look up this written character
行: xíng · go; walk; move, travel; circulate; Kangxi radical 144
間: Look up this written character
里: lǐ · unit of distance; village; lane; Kangxi radical 166
间: jiān · midpoint, space; place, locality

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–3–2–1 · zi4 li3 hang2 jian1

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Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

字裡行間 · find source passages ↗ · 字里行间 · find source passages ↗

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) between the lines

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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