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阃 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
阃kǔnthreshold; women's quartersg, 10 strokes, radical 门
阃kǔninner appartmentsunknown, 10 strokes, radical 门
阃kǔnwomanunknown, 10 strokes, radical 门
阃kǔnwife (honorific)unknown, 10 strokes, radical 门
kǔn(kun3) T3
  1. 1threshold; women's quarters
  2. 2inner appartments
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March 24, 2026

阃(閫)kǔn(kun3)

阃 (kǔn) refers to a threshold or entrance, particularly in the context of a woman's quarters or inner apartments in traditional Chinese homes. It conveys a sense of a private space often associated with women's roles in historical settings, emphasizing domesticity and honorific respect.

Strokes10Radical门
Cultural Note

阃 is deeply rooted in the historical structure of Chinese households, where women traditionally occupied separate quarters. This reflects the cultural norms of gender roles and domestic life in ancient China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a grand doorway (阃) leading to a beautiful garden of women (representing inner quarters). The left side of the character has '门' (door) while the right side resembles the shape of a woman. Picture this door as a threshold to both a serene space and a respectful acknowledgment of women's roles.

Meanings of 阃

kǔn(kun3)
1threshold; women's quarters
2inner appartments
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 阃

阃Simplified
閫Traditional
10Strokes
门Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 阃

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Podcast: 阃

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AI Study Notes for 阃

Usage Notes

阃 is often used in literary or historical contexts, so it might feel formal or poetic in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar sounding words like '坤' (kūn), which means 'earth' or 'female.' Collocations typically involve discussions about traditional family structures or themes of honor.

HSK Study Tips

Though 阃 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other words related to domestic life and gender roles, such as 家 (jiā, family) and 妻 (qī, wife). Focus on recognizing it in texts about historical or cultural scenarios to enrich your understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 阃 as 'kūn', using the wrong tone. Remember, it should be pronounced 'kǔn' with a falling tone to convey the correct meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 阃

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Etymology of 阃

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

gate

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 阃

  1. 1The meaning half门 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half困 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 阃? 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 阃?

Decomposition of 阃

IDS Structure⿵门困
阃Full Character
=
门Men2
enclosing
困kun4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 阃?

How to say threshold; women's quarters in Chinese

“threshold; women's quarters” in Chinese is阃kǔn

阃 (kǔn) refers to a threshold or entrance, particularly in the context of a woman's quarters or inner apartments in traditional Chinese homes. It conveys a sense of a private space often associated with women's roles in historical settings, emphasizing domesticity and honorific respect.

When to use 阃

阃 is often used in literary or historical contexts, so it might feel formal or poetic in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar sounding words like '坤' (kūn), which means 'earth' or 'female.' Collocations typically involve discussions about traditional family structures or themes of honor.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 阃 as 'kūn', using the wrong tone. Remember, it should be pronounced 'kǔn' with a falling tone to convey the correct meaning.

Write 阃

阃

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 阃

Words Containing This Character1
阃kǔnthreshold閫
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 阃 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 阃

In modern usage, 阃 is rarely used and often appears in historical or literary contexts.

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