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闱 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
闱wéigate, door; living quartersg, 7 strokes, radical 门, rank #73445, Very Hard
闱wéidoor to women's roomunknown, 7 strokes, radical 门, rank #73445, Very Hard
闱wéigate to palaceunknown, 7 strokes, radical 门, rank #73445, Very Hard
wéi(wei2) T2
  1. 1gate, door; living quarters
  2. 2door to women's room
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

闱(闈)wéi(wei2)

The character 闱 (wéi) refers to a gate or door, particularly one associated with living quarters or a women's room. It suggests an entrance that offers a sense of privacy or exclusivity, often used in historical contexts related to palaces or traditional residences.

Strokes7Radical门Frequency#73445DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, gates like the one represented by 闱 symbolize boundaries between the public and private spheres, especially concerning women's quarters in historical palaces. This reflects societal norms regarding gender and space.

Memory Tip

Imagine a grand palace gate where only the women of the court are allowed to enter. The character 闱 resembles a door (门) surrounded by walls (囗), symbolizing a special entrance reserved for important people. The pronunciation 'wéi' can remind you of 'way,' as in the way to a special place.

Meanings of 闱

wéi(wei2)
1gate, door; living quarters
2door to women's room
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 闱

闱Simplified
闈Traditional
7Strokes
门Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 闱

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Podcast: 闱

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AI Study Notes for 闱

Usage Notes

This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation and may appear more in literary or historical texts. Learners should be cautious about its context, as using it in modern contexts could sound overly formal or archaic. Common collocations include phrases related to historical architecture.

HSK Study Tips

While 闱 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enrich your knowledge of characters related to gates and doors. Students should focus on recognizing it alongside similar characters like 门 (mén) for 'door' and its cultural significance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 闱 with 门 (mén), which is more common and general for 'door.' For example, saying '我想去闱' (Wǒ xiǎng qù wéi) instead of '我想去门' (Wǒ xiǎng qù mén) can be incorrect in everyday contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 闱

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Etymology of 闱

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

gate

Semantic (meaning)门
+
Phonetic (sound)韦
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 闱

  1. 1The meaning half门 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half韦 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygate
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 闱? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 闱?

Decomposition of 闱

IDS Structure⿵门韦
闱Full Character
=
门Men2
enclosing
韦Wei2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 闱?

How to say gate, door; living quarters in Chinese

“gate, door; living quarters” in Chinese is闱wéi

The character 闱 (wéi) refers to a gate or door, particularly one associated with living quarters or a women's room. It suggests an entrance that offers a sense of privacy or exclusivity, often used in historical contexts related to palaces or traditional residences.

When to use 闱

This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation and may appear more in literary or historical texts. Learners should be cautious about its context, as using it in modern contexts could sound overly formal or archaic. Common collocations include phrases related to historical architecture.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 闱 with 门 (mén), which is more common and general for 'door.' For example, saying '我想去闱' (Wǒ xiǎng qù wéi) instead of '我想去门' (Wǒ xiǎng qù mén) can be incorrect in everyday contexts.

Write 闱

闱

Practice writing 闱 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 闱

Words Containing This Character1
闱wéigate to palace闈
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 闱 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 闱

No, it's primarily found in historical texts or literature.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 闱?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.