Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== ménkǒu: 门口 - Doorway, Entrance, Gate ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** menkou, 门口, meaning of menkou, Chinese for entrance, doorway in Chinese, gate in Chinese, what does menkou mean, HSK 1 Chinese, learn Chinese, Chinese vocabulary, entrance vs doorway in Chinese. * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **门口 (ménkǒu)**, a fundamental Chinese word for "doorway," "entrance," or "gate." This page breaks down the characters 门 (door) and 口 (opening), explains its cultural significance as the threshold between public and private life, and provides over 10 practical example sentences. Learn how to use **门口 (ménkǒu)** correctly to arrange meeting spots, give directions, and describe everyday situations in modern China, and understand the key difference between **门口 (ménkǒu)** and **门 (mén)**. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** ménkǒu * **Part of Speech:** Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 1 * **Concise Definition:** The physical opening or entryway of a building, room, or enclosed area. * **In a Nutshell:** **门口 (ménkǒu)** is one of the first words you'll learn in Chinese, and for good reason. It refers to the space right at the entrance of any place—a house, a shop, a park, a school. Think of it not just as the door itself, but the entire threshold area where you step in and out. It’s the default word for "entrance" in everyday, casual conversation. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **门 (mén):** This character is a pictograph of a traditional Chinese double-leaf door. It represents the physical "door" or "gate" itself. * **口 (kǒu):** This character means "mouth," "opening," or "orifice." It’s one of the simplest and most common characters. * When combined, **门口 (ménkǒu)** literally means "door opening." This perfectly captures the concept of a doorway or an entrance—it's not just the door panel (**门**), but the opening (**口**) you pass through. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * In Chinese culture, the **门口 (ménkǒu)** is more than just a physical entryway; it is a significant threshold between the private, internal world of the family (内, nèi) and the public, external world (外, wài). It's a space of transition where important social rituals take place. * For example, hosts will often escort their guests all the way to the **门口** to say a final, formal goodbye. During Chinese New Year, homes are adorned with red paper couplets (春联, chūnlián) pasted on both sides of the **门口** to bring good fortune. Some traditional homes even had Door Gods (门神, ménshén) painted or displayed at the entrance to ward off evil spirits. * **Comparison to Western Culture:** While in English we might say "I'll meet you at the door," the use of **门口 (ménkǒu)** is much more frequent and serves as a common location marker. An English speaker might say, "I'm outside the restaurant." A Chinese speaker would more naturally say, "I'm at the restaurant's entrance" (**我在饭店门口**, Wǒ zài fàndiàn ménkǒu). It pinpoints a more specific, mutually understood location for meeting and waiting. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== * **As a Meeting Point:** **门口** is the most common way to designate a meeting spot. If you're meeting a friend at a library, cinema, or cafe, you'll almost always agree to meet at the **门口**. * **Giving Directions:** It's frequently used to describe the location of something relative to an entrance. For example, "The ATM is right at the bank's entrance." * **Everyday Actions:** It describes the area right outside your front door. You might be asked to put the trash at the **门口** for collection or to pick up a delivery (外卖, wàimài) from the **门口**. * **Connotation:** The term is neutral and highly functional. It's used in all registers of speech, from casual conversation with friends to more formal instructions. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 我在学校**门口**等你。 * Pinyin: Wǒ zài xuéxiào **ménkǒu** děng nǐ. * English: I'll wait for you at the school entrance. * Analysis: A classic example of using **门口** as a designated meeting point. This is an extremely common and practical sentence. * **Example 2:** * 请把垃圾放在**门口**。 * Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ lājī fàng zài **ménkǒu**. * English: Please put the trash at the doorway. * Analysis: This shows **门口** used in a household context, referring to the area just outside or inside the front door. * **Example 3:** * 快递员把包裹放在了**门口**。 * Pinyin: Kuàidìyuán bǎ bāoguǒ fàng zài le **ménkǒu**. * English: The delivery person left the package at the entrance. * Analysis: Very relevant in modern China with the prevalence of e-commerce and food delivery. The **门口** is the default drop-off spot. * **Example 4:** * 电影院**门口**有很多人。 * Pinyin: Diànyǐngyuàn **ménkǒu** yǒu hěn duō rén. * English: There are a lot of people at the cinema entrance. * Analysis: Used here to describe a scene or situation at a specific location. * **Example 5:** * 别站在**门口**说话，快进来吧！ * Pinyin: Bié zhàn zài **ménkǒu** shuōhuà, kuài jìnlái ba! * English: Don't stand talking in the doorway, come on in! * Analysis: This highlights **门口** as the threshold. It's a very hospitable and common phrase. * **Example 6:** * 我们家**门口**有一棵大树。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen jiā **ménkǒu** yǒu yì kē dà shù. * English: There is a big tree at the entrance to our house. * Analysis: This shows **门口** can refer to the area immediately in front of one's home, not just the literal doorway. * **Example 7:** * 超市的**门口**在哪儿？ * Pinyin: Chāoshì de **ménkǒu** zài nǎr? * English: Where is the supermarket's entrance? * Analysis: A fundamental question for navigating any new place. * **Example 8:** * 他刚走到**门口**，电话就响了。 * Pinyin: Tā gāng zǒu dào **ménkǒu**, diànhuà jiù xiǎng le. * English: He had just reached the doorway when the phone rang. * Analysis: Demonstrates **门口** as a destination or point in a sequence of actions. * **Example 9:** * 停车场的**门口**堵车了。 * Pinyin: Tíngchēchǎng de **ménkǒu** dǔchē le. * English: The entrance to the parking lot is jammed with traffic. * Analysis: Shows **门口** can be used for larger structures like parking lots, not just buildings. * **Example 10:** * 这家店**门口**总是挂着红灯笼。 * Pinyin: Zhè jiā diàn **ménkǒu** zǒngshì guàzhe hóng dēnglong. * English: This shop always has red lanterns hanging at its entrance. * Analysis: Used to describe decorations or features of an entrance, linking back to its cultural significance. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **`门口 (ménkǒu)` vs. `门 (mén)`:** This is the most critical distinction for a beginner. * **门 (mén)** is the physical object: the wooden, metal, or glass panel that you open and close. * **门口 (ménkǒu)** is the space: the entryway, the threshold, the area around the door. * **Correct:** 请关**门**。(Qǐng guān **mén**.) - Please close the **door**. * **Incorrect:** ~~请关门口。~~ (Qǐng guān ménkǒu.) - This would sound like "Please close the doorway space," which is nonsensical. * **Correct:** 我在**门口**等你。(Wǒ zài **ménkǒu** děng nǐ.) - I'm waiting for you at the **entrance**. * **Incorrect:** ~~我在门等你。~~ (Wǒ zài mén děng nǐ.) - This is grammatically awkward and incomplete. You are not waiting "at the slab of wood," but "at the entrance." * **`门口 (ménkǒu)` vs. `入口 (rùkǒu)`:** * **门口 (ménkǒu)** is the general, all-purpose word for any entrance, especially for buildings like homes, shops, and restaurants. It's very common in spoken, everyday language. * **入口 (rùkǒu)**, literally "enter-opening," also means "entrance." It is often used for larger venues (like a highway entrance, a subway station entrance, an exhibition hall) or on signs. It can feel slightly more formal or technical than **门口**. For a beginner, sticking with **门口** for everyday situations is a safe bet. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[门]] (mén) - The physical door panel. The core component of **门口**. * [[大门]] (dà mén) - The main entrance or main gate of a larger compound, like a university or a park. It implies a grander scale than **门口**. * [[入口]] (rùkǒu) - Entrance. Often a more formal or technical term used for venues, highways, and on signage. * [[出口]] (chūkǒu) - Exit. The direct antonym of [[入口]]. * [[家门口]] (jiā ménkǒu) - "At one's doorstep." Used figuratively to mean something is very close to home or happening in one's own community (e.g., "a new park opened right on our doorstep"). * [[后门]] (hòumén) - The back door. Can also be used figuratively to mean "backdoor connections" or using improper channels to get something done. * [[开门]] (kāi mén) - To open the door. A verb phrase. * [[关门]] (guān mén) - To close the door. A verb phrase. * [[门票]] (ménpiào) - Entrance ticket (literally "door ticket"). Required to get past the **门口** of a tourist site or event.