窍门 (qiàomén): knack

Measure Word

一个窍门 gè

Literally 'opening/door' - a way in, a trick to get through

HSK 1

学好中文有什么窍门吗？

Xué hǎo Zhōngwén yǒu shénme qiàomén ma?

Are there any tricks to learning Chinese well?

HSK 7-9

做菜的窍门在于火候。

Zuòcài de qiàomén zàiyú huǒhòu.

The trick to cooking lies in controlling the heat.

memory

Think of 窍门 as finding the secret door (门) through a small opening (窍). Once you find the knack, the door opens easily.

窍 qiào

门 mén