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南门 (nán mén) — southern gate

Definition

The south gate of a walled city or palace — used as a landmark or meeting point, not for modern building entrances (where you'd say 南边/南面). Pair with 从/在 when giving or asking for a location.

noun
southern gate
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 南门。
    Wǒ men cóng nán mén jìn le gǔ chéng.
    We entered the ancient city through the south gate.
  • 南门。
    nán mén Wài miàn yǒu yì tiáo xiǎo hé.
    There is a small river outside the south gate.
  • 南门。
    Tā men yuē zài nán mén jiàn miàn.
    They arranged to meet at the south gate.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

南nánsouth
门méngate

南 means south and 门 means gate, together naming the gate on the south side.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 門; 门 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 門 pictures a gate as two door shapes side by side; the simplified 门 is a later shorthand.

Open 门 →
Appears in
Buildings & Structures

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