閫 (kǔn) - Kǔn — threshold of a woman's quarters & women's chambers

閫Tone 3

kǔn ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

閫 · kǔn

Kǔn — threshold of a woman's quarters;

women's chambers;

inner apartments;

by extension, women's domain or authority;

also used for military headquarters or command.

Kǔn — threshold of a woman's quarterswomen's chambersinner apartments

Usage highlights

Inner thresholdMilitary commandWomen's quartersHousehold managementCommand authorityWife's domain

Synonyms

  • 闱— women's quarters; inner apartments
  • 阈— threshold; doorway
  • 内— inner; interior

Antonyms

  • 外— outer; external
  • 公— public; male domain

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She managed the household affairs (内閫).
  • The general's command (閫外 command).
  • The threshold of the women's quarters (閫闱).
  • The authority of a wife/mother in the home (閫政).

Collocations

  • Inner threshold(内閫)
  • Military command(閫外)
  • Women's quarters(閫闱)
  • Household management(閫政)
  • Command authority(閫令)
  • Wife's domain(閫范)

Idioms

  • Authority within and without(内閫外政)
  • The commander's orders(閫外之令)
  • Women's virtuous conduct(閫范犹存)
  • Military command and household management(閫外閫内)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to the threshold separating women's living quarters from the rest of the household in traditional Chinese architecture.
  • Extended metaphorically to represent women's sphere of influence and authority within the domestic realm.
  • Also used in military contexts to denote headquarters or command, creating an interesting semantic duality between domestic and military authority.

FAQ