Meaning of 玄関:
「玄関」means “entrance”.
Example Sentences of 玄関:
| 家に入る前に玄関で靴を脱ぎます。 We take off our shoes at the entrance before entering the house. Ie ni hairu mae ni genkan de kutsu o nugimasu. 玄関に大きな鏡があります。 There is a large mirror in the entrance. Genkan ni ookina kagami ga arimasu. 玄関のドアを閉めてください。 Please close the entrance door. Genkan no doa o shimete kudasai. 彼は玄関で来客を迎えました。 He greeted the guest at the entrance. Kare wa genkan de raikyaku o mukaemashita. 荷物は玄関に置いてあります。 The luggage is placed in the entrance. Nimotsu wa genkan ni oite arimasu. 玄関がとても明るい家です。 It’s a house with a very bright entrance. Genkan ga totemo akarui ie desu. 玄関に花を飾りました。 I decorated the entrance with flowers. Genkan ni hana o kazarimashita. 玄関から声が聞こえました。 I heard a voice coming from the entrance. Genkan kara koe ga kikoemashita. 靴は玄関でそろえてください。 Please line up your shoes at the entrance. Kutsu wa genkan de soroete kudasai. 彼女は玄関まで見送りました。 She walked (someone) to the entrance to see them off. Kanojo wa genkan made miokurimashita. |
Vocabulary Expansion & Comparison:
| 「玄関」 vs entrance / entryway 玄関 (genkan) Refers to the Japanese-style entrance area, where people take off shoes. It is both a physical space and a cultural boundary between outside and inside. entrance General English term; can be large or small, indoor or outdoor. entryway More specific; usually the small space just inside a house. 📌 Genkan ≈ entryway, but with cultural meaning (shoes, manners). |
Near-synonyms in Japanese:
| 入口（いりぐち） Purely functional Used for buildings, shops, stations 駅の入口はあちらです。 The station entrance is over there. ⚠️ 入口 does not imply shoe-removal or a home setting. エントランス Loanword from English Often used for apartments, hotels, offices このマンションのエントランスは広い。 The entrance of this apartment building is spacious. More modern / architectural tone. |
Antonyms / Opposites:
| 🔹 出口（でぐち）— exit 非常出口はこちらです。 The emergency exit is here. 🔹 奥（おく）— inner part / inside 家の奥に部屋があります。 There is a room further inside the house. 玄関 marks the opposite side of 奥 in spatial sense. |
Common Patterns & Expressions:
| 玄関で靴を脱ぐ take off shoes at the entrance 玄関まで行く go as far as the entrance 玄関に置く leave something at the entrance 玄関先（げんかんさき） right outside the entrance |
Key Usage Notes:
| ❌ 玄関 = door ❌ → The door is ドア, not 玄関. 玄関 can be inside the house, not just outside. In English translation: casual → entrance / entryway explanatory → Japanese-style entrance (genkan) |