胡同

hútòng

noun #27,071

Measure Word

一条胡同 tiáo

Meanings

1 lane; alley (especially in Beijing)
2 hutong

Characters

recklessly; barbarian; (surname)

A phonetic borrowing — 胡同 comes from the Mongolian word 'hottog' (water well), as alleys were built around wells.

Examples

北京有很多老胡同。

Běijīng yǒu hěn duō lǎo hútòng.

Beijing has many old hutongs.

我们在胡同里找到了一家小饭馆。

Wǒmen zài hútòng lǐ zhǎodào le yī jiā xiǎo fànguǎn.

We found a small restaurant in a hutong.

胡同文化是北京的特色。

Hútòng wénhuà shì Běijīng de tèsè.

Hutong culture is a characteristic of Beijing.

Tips

culture

Beijing's hutongs are narrow alleys formed by traditional courtyard houses (四合院). Many date back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). While many have been demolished for modern development, preserved hutongs are now popular tourist areas like 南锣鼓巷 (Nanluoguxiang).

history

The word 胡同 likely comes from the Mongolian 'hottog' meaning water well. During the Yuan Dynasty, communities formed around wells, and the alleys between them became hutongs.

Stroke Order

胡 hú

同 tóng