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

Strokes3RadicalFrequency#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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 门

Simplified
Traditional
3Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#389Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1BCTCEFRA1

Podcast: 门

JasonAmy

Podcast:

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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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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).

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.

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 门?

Decomposition of 门

IDS Structure⿰⿱丶丨?
Full Character
=
top
gun3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 门?

Write 门

Practice writing 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 22 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

Complete the Sentence

先穿好衣服,再出____。

First get dressed, then go out.

Example Sentences for 门 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我走出门,竖起衣领抵御冷雾。

wǒ zǒu chū mén, , shù qǐ yī lǐng dǐ yù lěng。

I stepped outside and pulled up my collar against the cold mist.
2
她直奔西蒙的房间,敲了敲门。

tā zhí bēn xī mēng de fáng jiān, , qiāo le qiāo。

She went directly to Simon's apartment and knocked on the door.
3
我想让门前的花园变得五彩缤纷。

wǒ xiǎng ràng mén qián de huā yuán biàn dé wǔ cǎi bīn fēn。

I wanted the front garden to be a blaze of colour.
4
你得把油门杆往前推来加大马力。

nǐ dé bǎ yóu mén gān wǎng qián tuī lái jiā dà mǎ lì。

You have to push the throttle forward for more power.
5
你可以跟着一起唱你最喜爱的“猫王”的热门歌曲。

nǐ kě yǐ gēn zháo yī qǐ chàng nǐ zuì xǐ ài de“ “ māo” wáng ” de rè mén。

You can sing along to your favourite Elvis hits.
6
就好像你以前连门都见过一样!

jiù hǎo xiàng nǐ yǐ qián lián mén dū jiàn guò yī yàng!

You'd think you had never seen a door before!
7
你说的可是一门课程收费至少1,000英镑。

nǐ shuō de kě shì yī mén kè chéng shōu fèi zhì shǎo1,000 1,000 yīng。

You're talking over a thousand pounds minimum for one course.
8
然后,令人吃惊的是,后门被宾顿猛地拉开了。

rán hòu, , líng rén chī jīng de, shì , hòu mén bèi bīn dùn měng dì lā。

Then, startlingly, the back door was jerked open by Binton.
9
格雷丝轻轻敲了敲卧室的门,走了进去。

gé léi sī qīng qīng qiāo le qiāo wò shì de mén, , zǒu le jìn。

Grace tapped on the bedroom door and went in.
10
他用微型声波发射器开启了门。

tā yòng wēi xíng shēng bō fā shè qì kāi qǐ le mén。

He activated the door with the miniature sonic transmitter.

Cultural Notes for 门

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 门

Compounds56
men5plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
wen4to ask
jian1between
bi4to close
Wen2surname Wen
Shan3surname Shan
nao4variant of 鬧
xian2to stay idle
chuang3to rush
ge2cabinet, chamber, pavilion
men1stuffy
yue4to inspect
kuo4variant of 闊
zha2sluice, floodgate, canal lock
fa2clique, valve; a powerful and influential group
yan1eunuch; to castrate
gui1women's quarters; lady's apartment
lan2screen door, railing, fence
chan3to express
men2to stoke, to pat; to grope, to feel
he2obstruct
Min3to mourn, to grieve; to incite, to urge on
shuan1bolt, latch, crossbar
Yan2village gate; surname
jiu1chance, risk; to draw lots
he2to close; whole, entire, all
run4intercalary; extra, surplus
Que1palace; watchtower
xi4feud; to fight, to quarrel
yu4threshold; separated, confined
wei2gate, door; living quarters
lü2a village of twenty-five families
men2mendelevium
Lin4hay, straw; surname
Yin2respectful; to speak gently
yan4village gate
Hong2barrier, gate; vast, wide; to expand
kang1door
ta4door, gate; the door to an inner room
Min3Fujian province; a river; a tribe
kun3threshold; women's quarters
lang2high door, high gate; high, lofty
du1a Buddhist high priest
chang1the gates of heaven; the main gate of a palace
wen2a place in the Henan province
hun1gatekeeper; gate, door
e4to block, to obstruct, to stop up
qu4alone; quiet, still
que4to close, to shut; watchtower
tian2a place in Xinjiang province
han3to glance, to peep; to growl, to roar
Words Containing This Character20
méngate
部门bùméndepartment部門
专门zhuānménspecialist專門
开门to open for business開門
出门chūménto go out出門
厦门Xiamen or Amoy, subprovincial city in Fujian, abbr. 廈|厦[Xià]廈門
大门dàménentrance大門
关门to 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amen (loanword)阿門
门前in front of the door門前
敲门qiāoménto knock on a door敲門
后门anus後門
热门rèménpopular熱門
家门house door家門
澳门Macao澳門
射门(soccer, handball etc) to kick or shoot the ball towards the goal射門
前门front door前門
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

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.