门

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 门 (mén) for "door" is a pictograph that depicts a simple door with two leaves. The character is composed of two parts: the upper part, 户 (hù), represents the door frame, while the lower part, 乙 (yǐ), represents the door leaves. The character 门 has been in use for over 3,000 years and has remained largely unchanged in its form and meaning.The character 门 is also used in a number of other words and phrases related to doors and gates, such as 出门 (chūmén, "to go out"), 进门 (jìnmén, "to come in"), and 关门 (guānmén, "to close the door"). It is also used in the names of many places, such as 天安门 (Tiān'ānmén, "Gate of Heavenly Peace") and 正阳门 (Zhèngyángmén, "Gate of the Rising Sun").The character 门 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language, and it is one of the first characters that HSK learners should learn.