巷 (xiàng) is a Chinese character meaning “a narrow lane or alley between houses”. It is written from 共 (together; in common) and 巳 (sixth earthly branch), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “lane; alley”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
共 + 巳
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–6 与 共 逐笔对应，笔画 7–9 与 巳 逐笔对应（现代字形拆分，未主张字源）
Memory aid
共 (“together”) sits on top, and the coiled hook of 巳 is tucked underneath. Picture a whole block of neighbours sharing one narrow passage — that is a 巷, an alley.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 巷子xiàng zialley; lane巷 = xiàng
- 小巷xiǎo xiàngnarrow lane; small alley巷 = xiàng
Go deeper
All readings
lane; alley
a narrow lane or alley between houses; a back street
房屋之间较窄的街道；胡同。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 巷子xiàng zialley; lane巷 = xiàng
- 小巷xiǎo xiàngnarrow lane; small alley巷 = xiàng
Rare readings, not taught: hàng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 巷 mean?
巷 (xiàng) means a narrow lane or alley between houses; a back street.
How do you pronounce 巷?
It is pronounced xiàng.
What parts is 巷 made of?
共 (together; in common) and 巳 (sixth earthly branch), one above the other. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–6 与 共 逐笔对应，笔画 7–9 与 巳 逐笔对应（现代字形拆分，未主张字源）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 巷 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 巷?
己. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 巷?
Common ones are 巷子 and 小巷. The reading of 巷 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.