Chinese word

门槛

Pronunciation

Pinyinmén kǎn

Meaning

  • nounbarrier

Example

这家公司有很高的门槛。zhè jiā gōng sī yǒu hěn gāo de mén kǎn

This company has a very high barrier to entry.

Illustration for 门槛 (barrier)

More examples

监管部门提高了贷款的门槛，小额贷款变得更难。jiān guǎn bù mén tí gāo le dài kuǎn de mén kǎn xiǎo é dài kuǎn biàn de gèng nán

The regulators raised the loan threshold, making small loans more difficult.

Core concept

The entrance has a physical bar to cross, which becomes an image of meeting a requirement or overcoming difficulty before entry.

Common phrases

  • 提高门槛tí gāo mén kǎn

    raise the threshold

  • 降低门槛jiàng dī mén kǎn

    lower the threshold

  • 突破门槛tū pò mén kǎn

    overcome the barrier

Similar words

障碍zhàng ài: Something that stands in the way of progress or success.
困难kùn nán: A difficult problem or situation that makes success harder.
要求yāo qiú: A condition or level of quality that someone must meet.
条件tiáo jiàn: A circumstance that must exist for something to happen.

Definition in Chinese

门口下方的横木或石条；也比喻进入某个地方、行业或活动时必须达到的条件或需要克服的难度。mén kǒu xià fāng de héng mù huò shí tiáo yě bǐ yù jìn rù mǒu gè dì fāng háng yè huò huó dòng shí bì xū dá dào de tiáo jiàn huò xū yào kè fú de nán dù

Word origin

门槛 (ménkǎn, "doorway threshold") combines 门 (mén, "door") with 槛 (kǎn, "threshold bar"), then extends from a doorway feature to anything that must be crossed before entering a field or activity.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may expect a doorway word to stay physical, but Chinese uses it comfortably for qualifications and difficulty in practical discussions about entering a field or activity.

Other meanings

  • hurdlenoun
  • thresholdnoun

Related words

  • 门槛费mén kǎn fèientry feenoun
  • 门槛值mén kǎn zhíthreshold valuenoun

Word lists with this word