Definitions

(noun) household; family
(noun) door

Etymology

Variant of . Pictograph of a door, similar to the left half of .

About

The character 户 is a pictograph originally depicting a single-leaf door, in contrast to 门, which represents a double-leaf gate. As such doors typically led to individual rooms or smaller dwellings, the character came to metonymically refer to the families or individuals residing behind them. Its meaning thus broadened from the physical door to encompass households, and it is now used as a measure word for families and accounts, forming the basis for demographic concepts related to population registration and residence.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我打开了窗

Wǒ dǎkāile chuānghu.

I opened the window.

他去办理口。

Tā qù bànlǐ hùkǒu.

He went to handle household registration.

这个用很活跃。

Zhège yònghù hěn huóyuè.

This user is very active.

我经常访问门网站。

Wǒ jīngcháng fǎngwèn ménhù wǎngzhàn.

I often visit portal websites.

许多农种植水稻。

Xǔduō nónghù zhòngzhí shuǐdào.

Many farmers plant rice.

我们的客满意度很高。

Wǒmen de kèhù mǎnyì dù hěn gāo.

Our customer satisfaction is very high.

主需要更新信息。

Hùzhǔ xūyào gēngxīn xìnxī.

The head of household needs to update information.

籍制度改革正在进行中。

Hùjí zhìdù gǎigé zhèngzài jìnxíng zhōng.

The reform of the household registration system is underway.