門, 門扉, and 戸口: gates, gate doors, and doorways
Compare a school’s 門 with 門扉 that is locked or carved and 戸口 blocked by a package or reached by a dog. Follow the gate object and the doorway space.
The gate named 門
門 (もん) means gate. 「学校の門は朝八時に開きます。」 means “The school gate opens at eight in the morning.” The sentence states the time the school gate opens.
「古い門をくぐると静かな庭が広がっていた。」 means “Beyond the old gate lay a quiet garden.” The garden lies beyond the gate in this example.
A gate or gate doors named 門扉
門扉 (もんぴ) means a gate or gate doors. 「庭の門扉を閉めて鍵を掛けた。」 means “I closed and locked the garden gate.” The garden gate is the object closed and locked.
「古い門扉には細かな模様が彫られている。」 means “The old gate doors are carved with delicate patterns.” The patterns are carved into the gate doors. 門 and 門扉 can refer to overlapping gate objects.
A doorway or entrance named 戸口
戸口 (とぐち) means doorway or entrance. 「戸口に荷物が置かれていて中へ入れなかった。」 means “A package blocked the doorway, so I could not enter.” The focus is the doorway space where the package prevented entry.
「犬は戸口まで主人を迎えに出た。」 means “The dog came to the doorway to greet its owner.” The dog comes as far as the doorway to greet its owner. Separate the carved gate doors from the space used for entering.
What do the carved 門扉 and the blocked 戸口 focus on?
Show the answer and why
The first focuses on the gate doors as the object carrying the patterns. The second focuses on the doorway space where a package prevented entry. Keep the overlapping gate meanings of 門 and 門扉 while distinguishing 戸口 as an entrance space.