門 (mén) - door & gate
門 · mén
door;
gate;
entrance;
gateway;
family;
school of thought;
category;
classifier for academic courses, subjects, or martial arts schools.
doorgateentrance
Usage highlights
doorgateschool gatefamily backgroundfamous familydoorway
Usage & contexts
Examples
- Please close the door (关门).
- This is the school gate (校门).
- He comes from a prestigious family (名门).
- There are many schools of Buddhism (佛教门派).
Collocations
- door(门)
- gate(大门)
- school gate(校门)
- family background(家门)
- famous family(名门)
- doorway(门口)
Idioms
- To block the way(闭门羹)
- Equal opportunity for all(门当户对)
- A household of scholars(书香门第)
- To block one's own retreat(关门打狗)
- To visit a master to gain knowledge(班门弄斧)
Cultural background
FAQ- In traditional Chinese architecture, gates and doors symbolize boundaries between inner and outer worlds, privacy, and social status.
- Used metaphorically to denote schools of thought, academic disciplines, and family lineages.
- The character itself is pictographic, representing a double-leaf door.