敲门

• Pinyin: qiāo mén
• Hanzi breakdown: 敲 = 高 + 攴, to knock; 门 = simplified from 門, door

Meaning

To knock on the door. The act of striking a door to announce one's presence.

A basic courtesy before entering. Related: 敲门声 (knocking sound), 敲门砖 (stepping stone, metaphor for getting opportunity). In digital age: extended to knocking on chat windows.

Examples

1. 我听到有人敲门，就去开门了。 I heard someone knocking on the door, so I went to open it.
2. 进别人房间前要先敲门。 You should knock before entering someone else's room.
3. 他敲门敲了好几遍，里面才有回应。 He knocked several times before getting a response from inside.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, etiquette

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 谁在敲门？(Who's knocking?)
• 敲门前先整理一下仪表。(Tidy up your appearance before knocking.)

Don't Say

• 敲门门。(Redundant — 敲门 already includes the object 门)

Origin & History

敲 (qiāo, to knock) + 门 (mén, door). A verb-object compound for knocking on door.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal