The invention relates to a four-stroke internal combustion engine with compression ignition and internal exhaust gas recirulation by appropriate actuation of inlet and exhaust valves of at least one cylinder/piston unit. The invention provides for at least one inlet valve and at least one exhaust valve of the cylinder/piston unit to be actuable in such a way that the exhaust valve opening takes place before a charge-exchange top dead center position of a piston between an exhaust stroke and an intake stroke, and the exhaust valve closing takes place after this charge-exchange top dead center position at essentially the same time as the inlet valve opens, in order to displace exhaust gas from a combustion space of the cylinder/piston unit through the open exhaust valve into an exhaust duct and subsequently to suck it back from the exhaust duct into the combustion space.