Japanese by Example
Learning through examples in manga

Case closed at curfew time with 門限

Kanji Explanation: Boundaries and limits with 限

Manga panel from 三ツ星カラーズ showing example of Case closed at curfew time with 門限.
三ツ星カラーズ » Volume 4 » Page 78

After finding evidence of a UFO encounter, the group Colors sets out to find aliens. The case is cut short when the 5PM bell chimes, signalling that the young trio has to head home for the day.

斎藤(さいとう):
「ああ門限(もんげん)か。ゲームオーバーだな」
“Ah, curfew time? I suppose it's Game Over.”

Key Points

  1. 門限(もんげん) = curfew / the time you have to be home by

    • 門限(もんげん) refers to a fixed cutoff time for coming home, so here it means the girls have reached the point where they have to head back

    • The 限 part keeps the core idea of a limit or boundary, specifically a time limit on staying out