門

mén

gate, door, entrance; school of thought or lineage

Meaning

  • Physical: A gate, door, or entrance, specifically larger double-leafed gates (e.g., those of a city, palace, or compound).
  • Social/Abstract: Family lineage or social stratum. In philosophical or historical contexts, refers to an intellectual tradition or school of thought.

Grammar and usage

  • Locative Use: Frequently functions as a marker for a threshold. When used without an explicit preposition, it often designates a scene of transition, negotiation, or waiting.

Distinctions

  • Contrast with 戸: While 門 typically denotes larger gates, 戸 generally refers to smaller, single-leafed doors used in modest dwellings or individual rooms.

History and forms

  • Orthographic variants exist but do not carry distinct semantic weight for classical translation.

Translator notes

  • The conceptual core of the glyph is "access," whether applied physically (entering a building) or socially (joining a tradition).

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.