Definition

1. Noun:
   • Door: A movable barrier used to open and close an entrance to a building, room, vehicle, or piece of furniture. It is a physical object.
   • Entrance, Opening: A point or place of entry or exit, not necessarily fitted with a physical door. This can refer to a doorway, gate, or a natural opening.
   • Avenue, Means of Access: Figuratively, a channel, opportunity, or means to achieve something or connect with someone, often used in bureaucratic or social contexts.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Physical Door):
  • Anh ấy đang sơn lại cửa nhà. (He is repainting the house door.)
  • Cô ấy đứng đợi trước cửa. (She stood waiting in front of the door.)
• Noun (Entrance/Opening):
  • Tàu ra khơi qua cửa biển. (The ship goes to sea through the river mouth/harbor entrance.)
  • Họ bịt kín cửa hang. (They sealed the cave entrance.)
• Noun (Figurative Avenue):
  • Anh ta phải đi hết cửa nọ đến cửa kia để xin việc. (He had to go from one office [lit. door] to another to ask for a job.)
  • Nhờ có quan hệ, anh ấy mới tìm được cửa vào làm ở công ty đó. (Thanks to connections, he found a way in to work at that company.)

Advanced Usage

• "cửa trước" / "cửa sau": front door / back door. Can be used literally or figuratively to mean official/unofficial channels.
  • Vào bằng cửa trước thì hợp pháp, vào bằng cửa sau thì có thể bị phạt. (Entering through the front door is legal; entering through the back door might get you penalized.)
• "cửa chính" / "cửa phụ": main entrance / side entrance.
• "cửa tử" / "cửa sinh": In traditional contexts (e.g., battle arrays, maze designs), this means "door of death" (a trap/dead end) and "door of life" (the safe exit).

Variants and Related Words

• Cửa hàng (n): Shop, store. (A place of business, literally "door of goods").
• Cửa sổ (n): Window. (Literally "door for wind").
• Cửa công (n): Government office; the public administrative sphere. (Literally "public door").
• Cửa miệng (n): Mouth (as an opening); also figuratively for "public opinion" or "what people say".
• Cửa quyền (n): The seat of power; authority.
• Ra cửa (v phrase): To go out (of the house).

Synonyms

• Cánh cửa: Door (specifically the leaf/panel of a door). More specific than "cửa".
• Lối vào: Entrance, way in.
• Ngõ: Alley, lane; can sometimes be used metaphorically similar to "cửa" as a way/means.

Related Phrases (Compound Words/Common Collocations)

• Đóng cửa: To close/shut a door; to close a business.
• Mở cửa: To open a door; to open a business; to become open (e.g., a country's policy).
• Trước cửa: In front of the door/entrance.
• Cửa lớn: Main gate/entrance (often of a temple, compound).
• Cửa Phật: The door of Buddhism; a pagoda/temple.

Related Idioms

• Chạy cửa trước cửa sau: To run around seeking help from various authorities or influential people (lit. to run to the front door and the back door).
• Cửa đóng then cài: A state of being tightly closed and secured (lit. the door is closed and the bolt is fastened); often describes a house with no one going in or out, or a very private family.
• Trèo qua cửa sổ: To climb through the window; to use a shortcut or an improper method.
• Cửa nhà đầm ấm: A warm and happy home (lit. a home with warm doors).

noun

1. Door; entrance, opening