1.
service entrance; staff gate; side entrance
A secondary entrance to a building, facility, or compound used for everyday access by staff, deliveries, and authorized visitors, as opposed to the formal main entrance.
通用門から入ってください。
Please enter through the service entrance.
関係者は正門ではなく通用門を使用すること。
Staff members are to use the service gate, not the main entrance.
夜間は正門が閉まるため、通用門の暗証番号を入力して出入りする。
At night, since the main gate is closed, you enter and exit by keying in the passcode at the service gate.
Compound of 通用 ('general use; common use') and 門 ('gate'). The 通用門 is the gate used for routine, everyday access as opposed to the 正門 ('main gate'), which is reserved for formal occasions or public-facing access.
USAGE:
Commonly seen at schools, government buildings, hospitals, temples, and corporate campuses. Signs reading 通用門 or 通用口 ('service door') are common. Delivery drivers, staff, and regular visitors typically use this entrance.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 通用門から出入りする: to come and go through the service gate
- 通用門の鍵: key to the service gate
- 裏の通用門: the service gate at the back
- 通用門は施錠されている: the service gate is locked
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 正門: main gate — the primary, formal entrance to a facility
- 裏門: back gate — a gate at the rear of a building; may overlap with 通用門
- 通用口: service door — similar concept but for a door rather than a gate
- 勝手口: kitchen entrance; back door — the back door of a house, used for informal access and deliveries