巷 xiàng alley
alley; lane
How it came to be
Two hands holding one thing up together, over the snake block, which was once a town. A way that belongs to everybody in the neighbourhood rather than to one house.
How it is used
- A lane/alley: 小巷 (xiǎoxiàng) a narrow alley, 巷子 (xiàngzi) alleyway, 大街小巷 (dàjiē-xiǎoxiàng) streets and lanes everywhere.
- 街头巷尾 (jiētóu-xiàngwěi) = all over town, on every street corner.
- In 巷道 (hàngdào, a mine tunnel) it takes the reading hàng.