死胡同

sǐhútòng

noun #9,533

Measure Word

一条死胡同 tiáo

Meanings

1 dead end; cul-de-sac
2 blind alley; impasse (figurative)

Characters

reckless; barbarian (phonetic component)

same; together (phonetic component)

胡同 is a loanword from Mongolian, meaning a narrow lane or alley.

Examples

这条路是个死胡同。

Zhè tiáo lù shì gè sǐhútòng.

This road is a dead end.

谈判陷入了死胡同。

Tánpàn xiànrù le sǐhútòng.

The negotiations reached an impasse.

别走那边，是死胡同。

Bié zǒu nàbiān, shì sǐhútòng.

Don't go that way, it's a dead end.

Tips

usage

Like English 'dead end,' 死胡同 works both literally (a street with no exit) and figuratively (a situation with no way forward). 走进死胡同 = to reach a dead end / get stuck.

memory

死 (dead) + 胡同 (alley/lane) = a dead alley. 胡同 specifically refers to the narrow lanes of old Beijing neighborhoods.

Stroke Order

死 sǐ

胡 hú

同 tóng