Chinese word

中门

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhōng mén

Meaning

  • nouncentral gate

Example

大家从中门进来。dà jiā cóng zhōng mén jìn lái

Everyone comes in through the central gate.

Illustration for 中门 (central gate)

More examples

老师站在中门前等学生。lǎo shī zhàn zài zhōng mén qián děng xué shēng

The teacher stands in front of the central gate waiting for the students.

Core concept

A central entrance that organizes a palace or courtyard and represents the importance of the place.

Common phrases

  • 站在中门前zhàn zài zhōng mén qián

    stand in front of the central gate

  • 通过中门tōng guò zhōng mén

    pass through the central gate

Similar words

正门zhèng mén: The main gate on the front side of a building or courtyard.
大门dà mén: A large, important gate serving as a main entrance.
前门qián mén: An entrance on the front side of a building or site.
后门hòu mén: An entrance on the rear side of a building or site.

Definition in Chinese

多用于古典建筑，指在宫殿或庭院中处于中心位置并具有象征意义的门。duō yòng yú gú diǎn jiàn zhù zhǐ zài gōng diàn huò tíng yuàn zhōng chǔ yú zhōng xīn wèi zhì bìng jù yǒu xiàng zhēng yì yì de mén

Word origin

中 (zhōng, "middle") + 门 (mén, "gate") identifies a gate by its position at the center of a traditional palace or courtyard, where that position can carry formal meaning.

Usage tips

  • For everyday Chinese, this word belongs mainly to architecture and heritage descriptions rather than routine talk about entrances.

Opposites

Word lists with this word