大门

• Pinyin: dà mén
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = big, main; 门 = simplified from 門, pictograph of a double door

Meaning

Gate; front door; main entrance. The primary entrance to a building, compound, or institution.

Refers to the main entrance of a building, school, park, or residential compound. Distinct from 门 (door), which can be any door. 大门 implies the primary or grand entrance.

Examples

1. 学校的大门每天早上六点就开了。 The school gate opens at six every morning.
2. 请从大门进去。 Please enter through the main gate.
3. 公园的大门口有很多人在等。 There are many people waiting at the entrance of the park.

Usage Guide

Context: buildings, navigation, places

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我在大门口等你。(I'll wait for you at the main gate.)
• 学校的大门在那边。(The school's main gate is over there.)

Don't Say

• 不要用大门指房间的门 — 大门 is the main entrance of a building or compound, not an interior door. For room doors, just use 门.

Origin & History

Compound of 大 (big, main) and 门 (door, gate). Literally means the big or main door.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal