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门 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
门méngateHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门méndoorHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门méngatewayHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门méndoorwayHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménopeningHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménvalveHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménswitchHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménway to do somethingHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménknackHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménfamilyHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménhouseHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门mén(religious) sectHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménschool (of thought)HSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménclassHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门méncategoryHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménphylum or division (taxonomy)HSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménclassifier for large gunsHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménclassifier for lessons, subjects, branches of technologyHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门méngate, door, entrance, openingHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门mén(suffix) -gate (i.e. scandal; derived from Watergate)HSK 2, unknown, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
门ménsurname MenHSK 2, n, 3 strokes, radical 门, rank #389, Easy
mén(Men2)men T2
  1. 1gate
  2. 2door
Also a Chinese surname, Men — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

门(門)mén(Men2)

门 (mén) primarily means 'door' or 'gate' and is used in various contexts related to entrances or openings. It can refer to physical doors, metaphorical gateways, or even categories and classifications in a more abstract sense, such as schools of thought or types of technology.

Strokes3Radical门Frequency#389DifficultyEasy
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, doors symbolize entry to one’s home and are often associated with family and security. The placement and design of doors, like the famous 'Fu' character often placed on doorways, reflect auspiciousness and protection.

Memory tip

Imagine a large wooden door with the character 门 carved into it, representing an entrance. The two vertical lines can be seen as the sides of the door, while the horizontal line represents the top of the doorframe. Visualize opening this door to enter a new world of knowledge.

Meanings of 门

mén(Men2)
1gate
2door
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 门 means.

About 门

门Simplified
門Traditional
3Strokes
门Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#389Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1

Podcast: 门

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Podcast: 门

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AI study notes for 门

Quick Contrast

口 (kǒu, mouth/opening) — use 门 for physical doors or gates, while 口 refers to openings or entrances in a more general sense.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 门 with other similar characters like 问 (wèn, to ask) because of their similar structure. Remember that 门 specifically refers to a physical or metaphorical opening. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in phrases related to access and entry.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 2 word, 门 connects with other basic vocabulary about home and everyday objects. Students should focus on using it in phrases and practice its use in context, such as '开门' (kāi mén, open the door) or '关门' (guān mén, close the door).

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 门 with the wrong classifier; for example, saying '一扇门' (yī shàn mén) is correct, whereas saying '一个门' (yī gè mén) is incorrect. Remember that 门 typically uses the classifier 扇 (shàn) when referring to doors.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 门

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Etymology of 门

Formation typePictographic 象形
六书 ClassificationPictograph (象形字)~4% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 門. Pictograph of a gate.

Memory hint

An open doorway or gate

Learn more about Pictograph (象形字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 门?

Decomposition of 门

IDS Structure⿰⿱丶丨?
门Full character
=
丶—
top
丨gun3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 门?

How to say gate in Chinese

“gate” in Chinese is门mén

门 (mén) primarily means 'door' or 'gate' and is used in various contexts related to entrances or openings. It can refer to physical doors, metaphorical gateways, or even categories and classifications in a more abstract sense, such as schools of thought or types of technology.

When to use 门

Common mistakes include confusing 门 with other similar characters like 问 (wèn, to ask) because of their similar structure. Remember that 门 specifically refers to a physical or metaphorical opening. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often appearing in phrases related to access and entry.

门 or something close to it

口 (kǒu, mouth/opening) — use 门 for physical doors or gates, while 口 refers to openings or entrances in a more general sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 门 with the wrong classifier; for example, saying '一扇门' (yī shàn mén) is correct, whereas saying '一个门' (yī gè mén) is incorrect. Remember that 门 typically uses the classifier 扇 (shàn) when referring to doors.

Write 门

门

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

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Grammar patterns of 门

门 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 21 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他开____出去了。

He opened the door and went out.

Example sentences for 门 (15)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
ngate4
1
学校的门每天早上七点开。

Xuéxiào de mén měitiān zǎoshang qī diǎn kāi.

The school gate opens at seven every morning.
2
公园的门晚上九点关。

Gōngyuán de mén wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn guān.

The park gate closes at nine in the evening.
3
我在门口等你。

Wǒ zài ménkǒu děng nǐ.

I will wait for you at the gate.
4
请从正门进入。

Qǐng cóng zhèngmén jìnrù.

Please enter through the main gate.
nsurname Men11
5
我走出门,竖起衣领抵御冷雾。

wǒ zǒu chūmén, shù qǐ yī lǐng dǐyù lěng wù。

I stepped outside and pulled up my collar against the cold mist.
6
她直奔西蒙的房间,敲了敲门。

tā zhíbèn xī mēng de fángjiān, qiāo le qiāomén。

She went directly to Simon's apartment and knocked on the door.
7
我想让门前的花园变得五彩缤纷。

wǒ xiǎng ràng mén qián de huāyuán biàn de wǔ cǎi bīnfēn。

I wanted the front garden to be a blaze of colour.
8
你得把油门杆往前推来加大马力。

nǐ de bǎ yóu mén gǎn wǎngqián tuī lái jiā dà mǎlì。

You have to push the throttle forward for more power.
9
你可以跟着一起唱你最喜爱的“猫王”的热门歌曲。

nǐ kěyǐ gēn zhe yìqǐ chàng nǐ zuì xǐ’ài de“ māo wáng” de rèmén gēqǔ。

You can sing along to your favourite Elvis hits.
10
就好像你以前连门都见过一样!

jiù hǎoxiàng nǐ yǐqián lián mén dōu jiànguò yíyàng!

You'd think you had never seen a door before!
11
你说的可是一门课程收费至少1,000英镑。

nǐ shuō de kěshì yī mén kèchéng shōufèi zhìshǎo1,000 yīngbàng。

You're talking over a thousand pounds minimum for one course.
12
然后,令人吃惊的是,后门被宾顿猛地拉开了。

ránhòu, lìng rén chījīng de shì, hòu mén bèi bīn dùn měng dì lākāi le。

Then, startlingly, the back door was jerked open by Binton.
13
格雷丝轻轻敲了敲卧室的门,走了进去。

gé léi sī qīng qīng qiāo le qiāo wòshì de mén, zǒu le jìnqù。

Grace tapped on the bedroom door and went in.
14
他用微型声波发射器开启了门。

tā yòng wēixíng shēng Bō fāshè qì kāiqǐ le mén。

He activated the door with the miniature sonic transmitter.
15
门先生是我们公司的新经理。

Mén xiānsheng shì wǒmen gōngsī de xīn jīnglǐ.

Mr. Men is the new manager of our company.

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Word Family of 门

Compounds56
们menplural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
问wènto ask
间jiānbetween
闭bìto close
闻wénsurname Wen
闪shǎnsurname Shan
闹nàovariant of 鬧
闲xiánto stay idle
闯chuǎngto rush
阁gécabinet, chamber, pavilion
闷mēnstuffy
阅yuèto inspect
阔kuòvariant of 闊
闸zhásluice, floodgate, canal lock
阀fáclique, valve; a powerful and influential group
阉yāneunuch; to castrate
闺guīwomen's quarters; lady's apartment
阑lánscreen door, railing, fence
阐chǎnto express
扪ménto stoke, to pat; to grope, to feel
阂héobstruct
闵mǐnto mourn, to grieve; to incite, to urge on
闩shuānbolt, latch, crossbar
阎yánvillage gate; surname
阄jiūchance, risk; to draw lots
阖héto close; whole, entire, all
闰rùnintercalary; extra, surplus
阙quēpalace; watchtower
阋xìfeud; to fight, to quarrel
阈yùthreshold; separated, confined
闱wéigate, door; living quarters
闾lǘa village of twenty-five families
钔ménmendelevium
蔺lìnhay, straw; surname
訚yínrespectful; to speak gently
闫yànvillage gate
闬hàn
闳hóngbarrier, gate; vast, wide; to expand
闶kāngdoor
闼tàdoor, gate; the door to an inner room
闽mǐnFujian province; a river; a tribe
闿kǎi
阃kǔnthreshold; women's quarters
阆lánghigh door, high gate; high, lofty
阇dūa Buddhist high priest
阊chāngthe gates of heaven; the main gate of a palace
阌wéna place in the Henan province
阍hūngatekeeper; gate, door
阏èto block, to obstruct, to stop up
阒qùalone; quiet, still
阓huì
阕quèto close, to shut; watchtower
阗tiána place in Xinjiang province
阘tà
阚hǎnto glance, to peep; to growl, to roar
阛huán
Words containing this character20
门méngate門
部门bùméndepartment部門
专门zhuānménspecialist專門
开门kāiménto open for business開門
出门chūménto go out出門
厦门xiàménXiamen or Amoy, subprovincial city in Fujian, abbr. 廈|厦[Xià]廈門
大门dàménentrance大門
关门guānménto close a door關門
门口ménkǒudoorway門口
门票ménpiàoticket (for theater, cinema etc)門票
上门shàngménto drop in上門
阿门āménamen (loanword)阿門
门前ménqiánin front of the door門前
敲门qiāoménto knock on a door敲門
后门hòuménanus後門
热门rèménpopular熱門
家门jiāménhouse door家門
澳门àoménMacao澳門
射门shèmén(soccer, handball etc) to kick or shoot the ball towards the goal射門
前门qiánménfront door前門
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 门

What does 们 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 门

门 specifically refers to doors or gates, while 口 generally means 'mouth' or 'opening' and can refer to any kind of entrance.

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