北京的胡同有上千条，形成于中国历史上的元朝、明朝、清朝三个朝代，其中的大多数形成于13世纪的元朝。胡同的走向多为正东正西，宽度一般不过九米。
There are thousands of hutongs in Beijing, formed in the yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties in Chinese history, most of which were formed in the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century.
The direction of Hutong is mostly East and West, and its width is generally no more than nine meters.
胡同两旁的建筑大多都是四合院。四合院是一种由东西南北四座房屋以四四方方的对称形式围在一起的建筑物。大大小小的四合院一个紧挨一个排列起来，它们之间的通道就是胡同。
Most of the buildings on both sides of the alley are quadrangles. Siheyuan is a kind of building which is surrounded by four houses in symmetrical form.
The quadrangles, big and small, are arranged one by one, and the passage between them is the alley.
胡同从外表上看模样都差不多，但其内在特色却各不相同，它们不仅是城市的脉搏，更是北京普通老百姓生活的场所。
Hutongs are similar in appearance, but their internal characteristics are different. They are not only the pulse of the city, but also the place where ordinary people live in Beijing.
北京人对胡同有着特殊感情，它是百姓们出入家门的通道，更是一座座民俗风情博物馆，烙下了许多社会生活的印记。
Beijingers have special feelings for Hutong. It is not only a passage for people to enter and exit their homes, but also a museum of folk customs, which has left many marks of social life.
扩展资料：
北京的胡同多如牛毛，独独八大胡同闻名中外。因为当年，这里曾是烟花柳巷的代名词。
“八大胡同”在西珠市口大街以北、铁树斜街以南，由西往东依次为：百顺胡同、胭脂胡同、韩家潭、陕西巷、石头胡同、王广福斜街、朱家胡同、李纱帽胡同。
其实，老北京人所说的“八大胡同”，并不专指这八条街巷，而是泛指前门外大栅栏一带，因为在这八条街巷之外的胡同里，还分布着近百家大小妓院。只不过当年，这八条胡同的妓院多是一等二等，妓女的“档次”也比较高，所以才如此知名。
老北京城的妓院分若干等级。最早的妓院分布在内城，多是官妓。现东四南大街路东有几条胡同，曾是明朝官妓的所在地，如演乐胡同，是官妓乐队演习奏乐之所。
内务部街在明清时叫勾栏胡同，是由妓女和艺人扶着栏杆卖唱演绎而来的。以后“勾栏”成为妓院的别称。
明清时期，当官的和有钱的饮宴时要妓女陪酒、奏乐、演唱，叫做“叫条子”，在妓女一方，则叫“出条子”。
参考资料来源：百度百科——北京胡同
The word "hutong" originates from the word "hottog" which means "well" in Mongolian.Villagers dig out a well and inhabited there.Hutong means a lane or alley,in fact the passage formed by lines of siheyuan (a compound with houses around a courtyard) where old Beijing residents live.Be care not to lost in it!It was recorded that in the Yuan a 36-meter-wide road was called a standard street,a 18-meter-wide one was a small street and a 9-meter-wide lane was named a hutong.In fact,Beijing 's hutongs are inequable ranging from 40 centimeter to 10 meter in wide.The longest has more than 20 turns.Either in east-west or north-south,Beijing 's hutongs varied as slant,half or blind hutongs" cul-de-sacs.The gray-tiled houses and deep alleys crossing with each other in identical appearance like a maze,you will find it much fun to walk through but be care not to lost yourself.本回答被网友采纳