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I stumbled across this expression in the following context:

学世界语有没有意义，主要看你是什么目的。如果是想代替英语，没门。

In this context, I think the meaning of 没门 is pretty clear. I'm wondering how this expression may be used in other contexts though (or if it is uncommon, and probably shouldn't be used at all). Why would someone choose this expression over something else (e.g. 不可能， 不会).

Looking this expression up, it is often represented as 没门儿 (e.g. in this dictionary entry.) Is méiménr the most common way this expression is pronounced?

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  • 1
    没门= impossible / no way!
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Aug 7, 2017 at 16:53
  • 1
    no paths (doors) to success.
    – Daniel Yang
    Aug 8, 2017 at 5:55
  • Idioms : shit don't fly. It is not going to work.
    – mootmoot
    Aug 9, 2017 at 15:46

7 Answers 7

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in oral Chinese, you should use "没门儿" instead of "没门". "没门" sounds odd/unnatural. I would use "不太可能" or "可能性不大" (meaning unlikely to happen) in this context: ...如果是想代替英语，可能性不大. It will sound more formal, professional and mature. Using 没门 here sounds kind of immature, which make people doubt your statement (because you state it in absolutely no way with your own emotion attached and plus it's a verbal term).

没门儿 is an emotional word, meaning the speaker subjectively slams the door for something instead of being objective.

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  • Don't quite agree. 1. 儿 can be omitted and the meaning is unchanged. Many people in the south won't append with it actually. 2. 没门 may not sound immature, but sounds cool / swaggering sometimes. If it's spoken by a native Beijing resident, it can be just his/her accent without emotional meaning.
    – Harry Summer
    Aug 11, 2017 at 11:56
  • Understood 儿 can be omitted and people in the south rarely append with it. However, this rule does not work all the times. "没门" is ok in written. well, if you say "没门" in oral, it will definitely sound odd(in fact, I was born in north and live in south. I heard 99%+ of usage of "没门儿" vs 1%- of "没门" ). And if you use "没门" in this context, which is the technical discussion on literacy, you might be thought that you are not very serious in this discussion(by most people I guess), which appears you childish/immature in some way.
    – dan
    Aug 12, 2017 at 1:02
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Strict Translation of 没门 is NO, Void(没) + (Door, Entrance)门 = Void of Entrance Which translate to us humans as: Absolutely, positively NOT b/c there is no way. STOP TRYING (huge part of the expression).

The expression is very heavy on the confrontational side of the Chinese language, you often hear this before a huge family fight, considering Chinese people tries to be polite in the presence of others.

Cheers :) and Hello World, I just joined the site.

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It means no way. If you want to date with a girl, she says"没门"， it means that she does'nt want to and reject your invitation.

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This word normally isn't used in formal writing. But in spoken language, it generally means I do not want to to do what you are trying to ask of me.

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It is impossible, so the better translation can be "no way".

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This 没门儿 means 'fat chance'.I think it is.

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  • fat chance = big chance?
    – Rodrigo
    Aug 9, 2017 at 12:10
  • I think fat chance he meant here is a sarcasm, it doesn't mean 'big chance', it means there is no way (something) will happen...
    – Fai91
    Aug 19, 2017 at 6:07
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Just have an image like this: you are a fat man and want to get across the door, but as you are too fat to cross it. Doesn't it look like "fat chance " in English and 没门 in Chinese? So I think that is a way to remember the meaning of 没门（fat chance ）

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