Chinese Conversation · Level 12
90 words
Chinese word
门前
Pronunciation
Pinyinmén qián
Meaning
- nounin front of the gate
Example
他每天都在门前等车。tā měi tiān dōu zài mén qián děng chē
He waits for the bus in front of the gate every day.
More examples
孩子们在门前玩耍。hái zi men zài mén qián wán shuǎ
The children are playing in front of the gate.
Core concept
A building entrance has a small zone on its outer side where people arrive, wait, or pass through.
Common phrases
在门前等车zài mén qián děng chē
wait for a bus in front of the gate
门前有花盆mén qián yǒu huā pén
there are flowerpots in front of the gate
门前停着一辆车mén qián tíng zhe yí liàng chē
a car is parked in front of the gate
Similar words
门口mén kǒu: The entrance itself or the area right beside a doorway.
门里mén lǐ: The space inside a gate or near the inner side of an entrance.
门外mén wài: The space outside a gate, including the path or area beyond it.
Definition in Chinese
建筑物大门外侧、紧邻门口的区域，通常指门的正前方的地面或通道。jiàn zhù wù dà mén wài cè jǐn lín mén kǒu de qū yù tōng cháng zhǐ mén de zhèng qián fāng de dì miàn huò tōng dào
Word origin
门 (mén, "gate") combines with 前 (qián, "front") to name the ground or passage just outside a gate.
Usage tips
- English location phrases can blur the difference between an entrance and the space outside it, while this word keeps attention on the approach area when giving directions.
Other meanings
- at the gatenoun
Opposites
- 门内mén nèiinside the gatenoun