# hẻm meaning in Vietnamese: alley (A1)

> hẻm means “alley, lane” in Vietnamese. Examples with audio, in Northern and Southern wording.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/hem-alley/ · Updated 2026-10-31

**hẻm**: alley

Level: A1 (our estimate)

Typed without accents: hem

## 1. alley (noun)

alley, lane

Saigon addresses often name the alley: *hẻm 42 Lê Lợi*. In Hà Nội: *ngõ*.

- Saigon: Nhà tui ở trong hẻm. | Hà Nội: Nhà tôi ở trong ngõ. — My house is down an alley.
- Saigon: Hẻm nhỏ quá, xe hơi không vô được. | Hà Nội: Ngõ nhỏ quá, ô tô không vào được. — The alley is too narrow for a car to get in.

In Hà Nội you say [ngõ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/ngo-lane/#s_ngo_lane).

Saigon only

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