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The character "坊" originally depicted a delineated urban space, its composition of the earth radical (土) and the component 方, suggesting a square or region, logically conveying the idea of a walled ward or administrative subdivision within a city. Over time, its application narrowed from a general city district to specifically denote designated quarters for artisans or tradespeople, such as a winery or workshop, embedding a sense of specialized communal activity within a bounded area. This functional association further evolved so that "坊" itself came to mean the workshop or establishment where such work was conducted, and later, by extension, any small shop or storefront, while retaining its use in place names and for certain types of residential lanes, thus carrying forward its historical sense of a defined social and commercial unit.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个街坊很热心。
他开了一家小作坊。
我们去茶坊喝茶吧。
坊间流传着这个故事。
这个工坊生产手工艺品。
村口有一座古老的牌坊。
这家书坊专卖古籍。
坊市的繁荣反映了经济的活力。