Definition
巷 (xiàng) is a general term for a narrow street or alley, found in both urban and rural areas. 胡同 (hútòng) specifically refers to the historic residential laneways typical of Beijing and northern China, while 过道 (guòdào) denotes an indoor corridor or passageway, not an outdoor street.
noun
lanealley
Easily confused
- 哄hǒnglook-aliketo coax, to soothe
- 想xiǎngsound-aliketo want to; would like to
- 粪fènlook-alikemanure, dung
- 像xiàngsound-aliketo resemble, to be like
- 供gōnglook-aliketo provide, to supply
- 向xiàngsound-alike(preposition) towards; to (indicating direction, goal, or recipient of an action)
- 拱gǒnglook-aliketo arch (the back, a bridge, etc.)
- 项xiàngsound-alike(classifier) used for items, tasks, clauses, research projects, and other abstract entities
- 烘hōnglook-aliketo bake (using indirect heat)
- 响xiǎngsound-alike(verb) to sound, to ring, to make a sound
Examples
- 巷。Zhè tiáo xiàng tōng xiàng shìchǎng.This alley leads to the market.
- 。Tā jiā de hòumén kāi zài yì tiáo xiǎo xiàng lǐ.The back door of his house opens onto a small alley.
- 。Lǎo chéngqū yǒu hěnduō xiázhǎi de xiàng zi.There are many narrow alleys in the old city.
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