How to Write 巷 (hàng/xiàng) — Meaning “alley / lane”

Imagine two people (共, 'together') squeezing into a tiny alley, and the bottom part 巳 looks like a snake winding through the narrow space. This image of two people and a snake path helps you remember that 巷 means 'alley'.

Write the top part 共 first: horizontal line, then two vertical lines, followed by another horizontal line and the inner strokes (two small diagonal strokes). Then write the bottom 巳, which ends with a vertical hook (竖弯钩) that curves outward. A common mistake is to write 巳 like 己 (without the hook), so always make sure the last stroke hooks right.

Among these three characters, only 巷 is commonly used in modern Chinese, meaning 'alley'. 巵 is a rare ancient word for a type of vessel, and 巸 is also rare, meaning 'to stretch'. Visually, 巷 has a top part 共 (with two vertical lines), while 巵 has a top like a cliff radical (厂) and 巸 has a different top structure.

巷 is used in words like 小巷 (xiǎo xiàng, 'alley') and 巷战 (xiàng zhàn, 'street fighting' in war). It describes narrow lanes in old towns or cities, often appearing in literature about traditional neighborhoods. Unlike the Beijing-specific 胡同 (hútòng), 巷 is a general term for any alley.

Common words containing 巷 include: 小巷 (xiǎo xiàng) — Alley; lane; 巷战 (xiàng zhàn) — Street fighting / Urban warfare.; 巷道 (hàng dào) — Alleyway / Tunnel / Roadway in a mine..