弄堂 (lòng táng) — alleyway, lane (especially in Shanghai's old residential neighborhoods)

Definition

A narrow alleyway or lane, specifically the kind found in old residential neighborhoods of Shanghai. The character 弄 is read here as lòng, not the more common nòng ('to do').

noun
alleywaylane (especially in Shanghai's old residential neighborhoods)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 弄堂。
    Shàng hǎi de lǎo lòng táng lǐ yǒu hěn duō gù shi.
    There are many stories in Shanghai's old alleyways.
  • 弄堂，。
    Zhè tiáo lòng táng hěn zhǎi, zhǐ néng zǒu yí gè rén.
    This alley is very narrow — only one person can walk through.
  • 弄堂。
    Xiǎo shí hou wǒ cháng zài lòng táng lǐ hé xiǎo huǒ bàn men wán.
    When I was little, I often played in the alley with my friends.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The form 弄 combines 玉 (jade) with 廾 (hands), showing hands touching or handling jade.

Open 弄 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng堂táng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堂 uses 土 as a ground/earth part and 尚 for sound.

Open 堂 →

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