门
mén
door, gate
At a glance · 门

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

门 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 门 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 门 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 门 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 门 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 门 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested:oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

甲骨文、金文象两扇门扉之形,象形。小篆沿为「門」,简化作「门」。

What the sketch shows

门 Object sketch

Origins & notes

「门」本指建筑物的出入口,引申为门类、家族。

Structure

象形字,象双扇门之形。

At a glance

Pinyinmén
Radical门
Strokes3
UnicodeU+95E8
Character type象形
Theme建筑

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English door, gate A door, gate; a category.
Français porte, portail Une porte, un portail; une catégorie.
Español puerta, portal Una puerta, un portal; una categoría.
العربية باب، بوابة باب أو فئة.
Русский дверь, ворота Дверь, ворота; категория, род.

Common words

  • 门méndoor
  • 门口mén kǒudoorway