内容 (nèiróng) — content, substance

内容 (nèiróng)

内容 refers to the substance, information, or material contained within something -- a book, speech, website, course, or any form of communication.

Meanings

1. [noun] content, substance, subject matter

Example Sentences

这本书的内容非常丰富，涵盖了很多领域的知识。 Zhè běn shū de nèiróng fēicháng fēngfù, hángài le hěn duō lǐngyù de zhīshi. The content of this book is very rich and covers knowledge from many fields.

演讲的内容应该与听众的需求紧密相关。 Yǎnjiǎng de nèiróng yīnggāi yǔ tīngzhòng de xūqiú jǐnmì xiāngguān. The content of a speech should be closely related to the needs of the audience.

社交媒体平台需要严格审查用户发布的内容。 Shèjiāo méitǐ píngtái xūyào yángé shěnchá yònghù fābù de nèiróng. Social media platforms need to strictly review the content posted by users.

这门课的教学内容已经更新，加入了很多新案例。 Zhè mén kè de jiàoxué nèiróng yǐjīng gēngxīn, jiārù le hěn duō xīn ànlì. The course content has been updated and many new cases have been added.

形式再好，也要有扎实的内容作为支撑。 Xíngshì zài hǎo, yě yào yǒu zhāshi de nèiróng zuòwéi zhīchēng. No matter how good the format, it needs solid content to back it up.

这份报告的内容详实，数据充分，很有说服力。 Zhè fèn bàogào de nèiróng xiángshí, shùjù chōngfèn, hěn yǒu shuōfú lì. The report's content is thorough, data is sufficient, and it is very persuasive.

Collocations

Usage Notes

内容 is one of the most frequently used nouns in Chinese, functioning like the English word "content" in almost all contexts -- books, courses, media, discussions, and digital platforms. The growing field of 内容创作 (content creation) and 内容营销 (content marketing) has made 内容 even more prominent in digital Chinese.

A useful distinction is between 形式 (form, format) and 内容 (content, substance). The phrase 形式与内容 (form and content) is a classic rhetorical pairing, and the saying that 内容决定形式 (content determines form) is a principle in aesthetics and communication.

Memory Hook

内 is "inside" and 容 means "to hold/contain" -- 内容 is what is held inside, the substance filling the container, the meaning filling the words.