Chinese Conversation · Level 59
90 words
Chinese word
巷子
Pronunciation
Pinyinxiàng zi
Meaning
- nounalley
Example
孩子们喜欢在巷子里玩耍。hái zi men xǐ huān zài xiàng zi lǐ wán shuǎ
The children like to play in the alley.
More examples
晚上的巷子尽头有一家小店。wǎn shàng de xiàng zi jìn tóu yǒu yì jiā xiǎo diàn
At the end of the alley at night, there is a small shop.
Core concept
A small urban road tucked among homes, serving both as a passage and as a shared neighborhood space.
Common phrases
在巷子里玩zài xiàng zi lǐ wán
play in the alley
走进巷子zǒu jìn xiàng zi
walk into the alley
巷子尽头xiàng zi jìn tóu
end of the alley
Similar words
小巷xiǎo xiàng: A small, narrow lane, often short, where people walk and children may play.
胡同hú tòng: A traditional narrow residential lane in northern China, connected with everyday neighborhood life.
弄堂lòng táng: A narrow residential passage in southern China, lined by closely spaced homes.
Definition in Chinese
城市或乡镇中较窄的道路，常作为邻里出入口或邻里活动的场所，有时可与小巷、横丁通用。chéng shì huò xiāng zhèn zhōng jiào zhǎi de dào lù cháng zuò wéi lín lǐ chū rù kǒu huò lín lǐ huó dòng de cháng suǒ yǒu shí kě yǔ xiǎo xiàng héng dīng tōng yòng
Word origin
The word joins 巷 (xiàng, "lane or street") with 子 (zi, "noun-forming suffix"), giving the basic idea of a lane a familiar spoken-noun form.
Usage tips
- The setting is not necessarily a hidden or neglected corner; ordinary homes, shops, and regular foot traffic can all be associated with this word.
Other meanings
- lanenoun
- side streetnoun
Related words
- 小巷xiǎo xiàngsmall alleynoun
- 巷口xiàng kǒualley entrancenoun