Definition
胡同 refers to the narrow, historic residential laneways unique to Beijing, often carrying cultural and historical weight. It is a proper noun-like term tied to Beijing's old neighborhoods. 巷 (xiàng) is a general, neutral word for any lane or alley across China, without the cultural specificity.
noun
lanealley (especially the historic residential laneways found in Beijing)
Measure word · 条
Examples
- 胡同。Běijīng yǒu hěn duō yǒumíng de lǎo hú tòng.Beijing has many famous old hutongs.
- 胡同。Wǒmen yánzhe nà tiáo hú tòng yìzhí zǒu dào jìntóu.We walked along that alley all the way to the end.
- 胡同。Zhè tiáo hú tòng lǐ yǒu yí ge yǒuqù de kāfēi guǎn.There is an interesting café in this hutong.
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