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命門

简命门 · 繁命門

Mandarin · pinyin mìng mén

(TCM) the right kidney
(TCM) acupuncture point GV-4, midway between the kidneys
the region between the kidneys
the eyes
(fortune-telling) the temples
(fig.) most critical or vulnerable point

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Characters in this entry

命: mìng · life; destiny, fate, luck; an order, instruction
門: mén · gate, door, entrance, opening; Kangxi radical 169
门: mén · gate, door, entrance, opening

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–2 · ming4 men2

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

(traditional Chinese medicine) lifegate (the part between the kidneys considered to be the root of the body's physiological functions and life activities)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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