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在 + Time + 内 (within a span)
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Within three days
- The online shop promises fast delivery in its advert.
- we / us我们guarantee保证three days三天(inside)内送到。 — "We guarantee delivery within three days."
(within在) + time span + (inside)内 = within
- within在 + time + (inside)内 = within that period: within在一个月(inside)内, within在两周(inside)内, three days三天(inside)内.
- within在 can be dropped in short phrases; within以内 is a close synonym.
please请within在a week一周(inside)内hand in交the report报告。
Complete (formal notice): “Pay within thirty days.” 请在三十天____付款。
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在 + time + 内 = within.
Deadlines and rules
- passport护照to have to必须within在两周(inside)内to take care of (a matter)办好。 — "The passport must be sorted within two weeks."
- Space too: within在the school学校(inside)内not allowed不能smoke吸烟。 — "No smoking within the school."
within在the school学校(inside)内not allowed不能smoke吸烟。
Build: “No smoking within the school.”
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在 + place + 内 + rule.
Formal register
- (inside)内 is formal; in chat, three days三天inside之内 or three days三天within以内 also work, and three days三天li, ancient measure of…里 is casual.
- The phrase goes before the verb: within在three days三天(inside)内to complete完成, not to complete完成within在three days三天(inside)内.
完成在三天内 is the normal word order.
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The time phrase goes before the verb: 在三天内完成.
(inside)内 versus after以后
- three days三天(inside)内 = within three days (any time up to day three).
- three days三天after以后 = after three days (not before).
three days三天after以后then再come来。
Which means “after a week” (not before)?
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一周以后 means “after a week”. 一周内, 一周以内 and 在一周内 all mean “within a week”, i.e. before the week is over.
Recap
- (within在) + time / place + (inside)内 = within; formal, before the verb.
- within以内 / inside之内 are synonyms; after以后 = after.
Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Sentence patterns.
The online shop promises fast delivery in its advert. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.