门
mén · door / gate💡 How to pronounce
m → like the 'm' in 'moon'. én → like 'un' with a rising tone.
📖 The Story
门 is a door — the entrance to a building, a home, or a world. The oracle bone script shows two doors facing each other, like the gates of an ancient city. In Chinese culture, doors are not just openings — they are thresholds between inside and outside, safety and danger, known and unknown.
🎬 In Culture Today
The Forbidden City has nine gates, each with its own name and purpose. During Chinese New Year, families paste red couplets on their doors for good luck. The phrase '门当户对' (mén dāng hù duì) means 'a well-matched marriage' — literally 'doors and households that match'.
📚 Words
大门big gate
门口doorway / entrance
开门to open the door
关门to close the door
📝 Example Sentences
请开门。
Please open the door.
门口有人等你。
There is someone waiting for you at the door.