玄関

• Reading: げんかん
• Romaji: genkan
• Kanji breakdown: 玄 (gen) — mysterious, profound; 関 (kan/seki) — gate, barrier, connection
• Pronunciation: /ɡe.ɴ.ka.ɴ/

Meaning

Entrance; front door; entryway. The entrance area of a Japanese home where shoes are removed.

A distinctly Japanese architectural feature — the genkan is a lower-level area just inside the front door where visitors remove their shoes before stepping up to the main floor. It serves as a transition between outside and inside. Common phrases: 玄関で靴を脱ぐ (take off shoes at the entrance), 玄関のドア (front door).

Examples

1. 玄関で靴を脱いでください。 Please take off your shoes at the entrance.
2. 玄関に花を飾りました。 I decorated the entrance with flowers.
3. 玄関のベルが鳴りました。 The doorbell rang.

Usage Guide

Context: home, architecture, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Originally a Buddhist term: 玄 (profound/mysterious) and 関 (gate/barrier). It referred to the gateway to profound teachings. Over time, it came to mean the entryway of any building.

Cultural Context

Era: Medieval

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal