1. a narrow street or passage between buildings
建築物之間狹窄的街道或通道
The children played in the quiet alley behind the houses.
孩子們在房子後面安靜的巷子裡玩耍。
We took a shortcut through a dark alley.
我們穿過一條黑暗的巷子抄近路。
Alley Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
alley
noun
快速理解
What does "Alley" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Alley"?
「alley」主要指狹窄的街道或通道，也用於特定運動場地。
- 1
狹窄街道
EN: a narrow street or passage between buildings
翻譯: 建築物之間的狹窄街道或通道
- 2
運動場地
EN: a long, narrow lane for bowling or tennis
翻譯: 保齡球或網球等運動使用的狹長場地
- 3
隱蔽通道
EN: a path or passage, often hidden or secluded
翻譯: 常指隱蔽或僻靜的小徑或通道
小提醒：注意「alley」和「ally」（盟友）發音相同但拼寫與意思完全不同，容易混淆。
發音（How to Pronounce "Alley" in English）
How to pronounce "Alley" in English?"Alley" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Alley" from YouTube Videos
Sam Martin: The quirky world of "manspaces"
TED
“I soon realized that manspaces didn't have to be only inside. This guy built a bowling alley in his backyard out of landscaping, timbers, astroturf, And he found the scoreboard in the trash.”
(1 out of 3)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Alley"?How does "Alley" change by context?
2. a path in a park or garden, often bordered by trees or bushes
公園或花園中的小徑，通常兩旁有樹木或灌木
They walked down the tree-lined alley in the botanical garden.
他們沿著植物園裡林蔭夾道的小徑散步。
3. the long, narrow lane used for bowling
用於保齡球運動的長而窄的球道
He rolled the ball straight down the alley for a strike.
他將球筆直地滾下球道，打出了一次全倒。
4. in tennis or similar sports, the area on each side of the singles court
在網球或類似運動中，單打場地兩側的區域
Her shot landed perfectly in the alley, winning the point.
她的擊球完美地落在邊線區，贏得了這一分。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Alley"?How to make natural sentences with "Alley"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| alley + noun (e.g., alley cat, alley fight) | 巷子 + 名詞（表示與巷子相關的事物） | The alley cat found shelter behind the dumpster. (那隻流浪貓在垃圾箱後面找到了棲身之處。) |
| down/up the alley | 沿著巷子（走） | He walked down the alley to the back entrance. (他沿著巷子走到後門入口。) |
| a blind alley | 死胡同；沒有出路的情況 | That line of research turned out to be a blind alley. (那條研究路線最終被證明是條死胡同。) |
| right up someone's alley | 正合某人的興趣或專長 | Organizing events is right up her alley. (組織活動正合她的專長。) |
用法說明
How is "Alley" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Alley"?
alley vs. alleyway
- alley 通常指建築物之間或後方的狹窄通道，可能用於通行、送貨或放置垃圾桶。
- alleyway 與 alley 意思幾乎完全相同，但聽起來更正式或更具描述性，有時更強調其作為「通道」的功能。
- 在運動術語中（如保齡球、網球），固定使用 alley，不可用 alleyway。
- 在美式英語中，alley 是絕對主流用法；英式英語中 alleyway 的使用頻率相對稍高，但兩詞仍可互換。 EN: The cat ran into the dark alley behind the restaurant. 翻譯: 那隻貓跑進了餐廳後面的黑暗巷子裡。
EN:He found a shortcut through a narrow alleyway between the two buildings.
翻譯:他發現了一條穿過兩棟建築間狹窄巷弄的捷徑。
總結建議
在大多數情況下兩詞可互換，但談及運動場區或使用習慣語（如 "alley-oop", "blind alley"）時，應固定使用 alley。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Alley" and similar words?How to choose "Alley" vs alternatives?
alley vs street
「alley」指建築物之間狹窄的通道或後巷，通常較隱蔽；「street」則是較寬闊、有門牌號碼的公共道路，兩旁常有建築物。
alley vs lane
「alley」多指城市中建築物間的狹窄通道；「lane」可指鄉間小路、車道，或道路上劃分的行車線，含義較廣。
alley vs path
「alley」是建築物之間硬質鋪面的通道；「path」通常指供人行走的小徑，可能未鋪設，常見於公園或鄉間。
口語用法
How is "Alley" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Alley"?
引述
在轉述他人話語或想法時，用來指代一個模糊或未具體說明的概念或地點。 EN: He was talking about some alley where they used to hang out, but I couldn't picture it. 翻譯: 他一直在說他們以前常混的某條巷子，但我完全想不起來是哪條。
EN:She mentioned an alley with great street art, but forgot the name.
翻譯:她提到一條有很棒的街頭藝術的巷子，但忘了名字。
語氣強調
與特定形容詞或指示詞連用，以強調巷子的特質、狀態或給人的感覺。 EN: That alley is so creepy at night, let's not go down there. 翻譯: 那條巷子晚上超詭異的，我們別走進去。
EN:It's just a back alley, nothing special to see.
翻譯:那不過是條後巷，沒什麼特別好看的。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，用作暫時的填充詞，指代一個非特定或典型的地點。 EN: The meeting spot is... you know... that alley next to the old cinema. 翻譯: 集合地點是...你知道的...老電影院旁邊的那條巷子。
EN:We got lost and ended up in some... alley... behind the market.
翻譯:我們迷路了，最後跑到市場後面的一條...巷子裡。
正式書寫注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免使用過於口語化的搭配（如 "some alley"、"that creepy alley"）及作為填充停頓的用法。建議使用更精確的描述，例如 "a narrow lane"、"the service alley behind the premises" 或具體的地點名稱。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Alley"?What fixed phrases with "Alley" should I remember?
blind alley
noun phrase
死胡同；沒有出路或結果的行動方向
up/down one's alley
idiom
正合某人的興趣或專長
alley cat
noun phrase
流浪貓；常指在街巷中生活的貓
bowling alley
noun phrase
保齡球館
back alley
noun phrase
後巷；後街小巷（常與隱密或不法活動相關）
alleyway
noun
小巷；窄巷（與 alley 同義，但更強調通道性質）
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Alley"?Which "Alley" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×We walked through the narrow alleyway between the two buildings.
✓We walked through the narrow alley between the two buildings.
“Alleyway” is redundant in most contexts because “alley” already means a narrow passage. Use “alley” alone unless emphasizing the path-like quality.
×They live in a small alley.
✓They live on a small alley.
In English, we typically use the preposition “on” with streets, roads, and alleys (e.g., on Main Street, on a quiet alley). “In” is used for enclosed areas like neighborhoods or cities.
×We took a shortcut through an ally.
✓We took a shortcut through an alley.
“Ally” (noun) means a friend or supporter, while “alley” is a narrow street. This is a common spelling confusion.
×The basketball player made an alley-oop pass.
✓The basketball player threw an alley-oop pass.
While “alley-oop” is a fixed compound in basketball, the verb used with it is usually “throw,” “lob,” or “execute.” Using “make” with “alley-oop pass” is unnatural.
×Let's go bowling in the alley.
✓Let's go bowling at the alley.
For a bowling alley (a specific venue), we use “at.” “In” would imply being physically inside the building, which is possible but less common for stating the activity destination.
×The thief escaped through the back alley.
✓The thief escaped down the back alley.
While “through” can be used, “down” (or “up”) an alley is more idiomatic when describing movement along its length. “Through” emphasizes passing from one end to the other.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Alley"?What are tense/participle forms of "Alley"?