門外(もんがい)

もんがい
noun
outside the gate; outside one's field
abstract
1. outside the gate; outside the premises
Literally, the area outside a gate or entrance.
門外(もんがい)に出(で)る。
To go outside the gate.
門外(もんがい)不出(ふしゅつ)の秘伝(ひでん)のたれを使(つか)っている。
They use a secret sauce recipe that has never been shared outside the family.
門外(もんがい)に漏(も)らすな。
Don't let it leak outside.
2. outside one's field of expertise; being an outsider
Figuratively, being outside one's area of expertise or specialization. Most commonly used in the compound 門外漢.
コンピューターに関(かん)しては門外漢(もんがいかん)だ。
When it comes to computers, I'm a complete outsider.
私(わたし)は医学(いがく)の門外漢(もんがいかん)なので詳(くわ)しいことは分(わ)からない。
I'm a layperson in medicine, so I don't understand the details.
法律(ほうりつ)の門外漢(もんがいかん)にも分(わ)かりやすく説明(せつめい)してほしい。
I'd like an explanation that's easy to understand even for someone outside the legal field.

Composed of 門(もん) (gate) and 外(がい) (outside). The literal meaning refers to the area outside a gate, but the word is most commonly encountered in two set compounds.

Compounds

  • 門外漢(もんがいかん): layperson, outsider — someone outside a particular field of expertise
  • 門外(もんがい)不出(ふしゅつ): never shared outside (the family/school/group) — used for secret techniques, recipes, or treasures

Common collocations

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 素人(しろうと) (amateur, layperson)
Compare: 部外者(ぶがいしゃ) (outsider)
general
Added 2026.4.9 6:25 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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