Word
門
Meaning in Englishgate
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Word context
What it means
What does 門 mean? It means a gate or entrance; it denotes the boundary that provides access to a space and is used for literal gates as well as metaphorical entry points.
Main meanings
- Literal gate or doorway at the boundary of a property, building, or sacred site
- Main entrance, often seen in terms like 正門 seimon
- Gatekeeper or threshold role in compounds such as 門番 monban and 門前 monzen
How to use it
Used for physical gates in architecture, temples, and fences; formal and everyday speech both use it, with kun readings common in phrases like 門を開く and 門を閉める. In compounds it forms the basis of terms like 正門 (seimon) and 門番 (monban).
Variants and close terms
- 扉 (tobira) — door or portal; a closely related sense of an entry, often inside buildings
- 出入口 (deiriguchi) — entrance/exit; a generic term for an access point
- 正門 (seimon) — main gate; a common compound indicating the principal exterior entrance
Composition
- 門: a single kanji meaning gate or boundary; its form visually depicts a gateway with a top crossbar and side openings, signaling entry into a space
Etymology
門 mon is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi borrowed from Chinese mén, while kado is the native kun pronunciation used for the gate sense; the character historically traces to a gate-like shape in bronze inscriptions.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
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