走街串巷
zǒu jiē chuàn xiàng
to go from street to street; to make the rounds
Character by character
走zǒu
walk
walk
街jiē
streets
streets
串chuàn
go through
go through
巷xiàng
alleys
alleys
Example
他在这一带送了三十年的信，每天走街串巷，哪家住在哪儿都清清楚楚。
He has delivered letters round here for thirty years, going from street to street every day, and knows exactly who lives where.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Used of pedlars, postmen, couriers and street repairmen who know every corner of a neighbourhood. 串 is “to go from one to the next”, as in 串门.
Learn this in Lesson 60 · HSK 6: 外卖骑手 (Delivery riders and the gig economy)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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