noun
private pupil; live-in apprentice
Refers to a student or apprentice who lives with and receives direct, personal instruction from a master, especially in traditional arts, crafts, or martial arts. Contrasts with 外弟子 (そとでし), a student who does not live with the master.
彼は有名な陶芸家の内弟子として修行した。
He trained as a live-in apprentice under a famous potter.
内弟子は師匠の家に住み込みで技術を学ぶ。
A private pupil lives in the master's house and learns the craft.
弟子 is a general term for a pupil or disciple, without the live-in connotation of 内弟子.
Compound of 内 (うち, 'inside') and 弟子 (でし, 'pupil, disciple'), literally meaning 'inside pupil'. The term reflects the traditional practice of a student living in the master's home.