门楣 (mén méi) — the lintel of a door; the horizontal beam above a doorway; family status; the honor or prestige of a family (especially in traditional contexts)

Definition

Literally 'door lintel,' but figuratively refers to a family's reputation and social standing. The higher the 门楣, the more prestige the family has — a classical/traditional concept tied to honor and lineage.

noun
the lintel of a doorthe horizontal beam above a doorwayfamily statusthe honor or prestige of a family (especially in traditional contexts)

Examples

  • 门楣。
    Zhè zuò lǎo zhái de mén méi shàng kè zhe jīng měi de huā wén.
    The lintel of this old house is carved with exquisite patterns.
  • ，门楣。
    Tā kǎo zhòng le zhuàng yuan, guāng yào le quán jiā de mén méi.
    He came first in the imperial exams, bringing glory to the whole family.
  • ，门楣。
    Zài gǔ dài, mén qián de mén méi gāo dī zhí jiē dài biǎo zhè hù rén de shè huì dì wèi.
    In ancient times, the height of the lintel at the entrance directly represented the social status of the household.

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.

门méndoor
楣méilintel

门 is the doorway and 楣 the crossbeam above it, giving the lintel and family standing.

Characters in this word

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 楣 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.