How to say "gate" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 門もんnounThe usual word for a gate as a physical structure — the gate of a house, school, temple, or castle. Use it when you mean the gate itself, not the place where people enter.
- nounA loanword for gates you pass through for entry or boarding, such as an airport boarding gate or the entry gate of a stadium or event venue.
- 扉とびらnounChiefly a door; its 'gate' sense is secondary, applying to a gate that works like a door. For a gate as an entrance structure, 門 is the usual choice.
- 入り口いりぐちnounAn entrance or way in; use this for 'gate' when the point is where people enter — the entrance to a park, building, or venue — rather than the gate structure itself.１台の車が入り口に止まった。↗A car stopped at the entrance.
- 関せきnoun, noun (suffix)Really means a barrier — a point on a route where passage is checked or controlled — so it is seldom the word for an ordinary gate at an entrance.
Use 門 for a gate as a structure at an entrance, 「ゲート」 for boarding and entry gates, 「入り口」 for the entrance itself, and treat 扉 and 関 as door and barrier words whose 'gate' senses are secondary.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
