noun
A narrow street or passage between buildings, typically in a city or town.
猫が路地からひょっこり現れた。
A cat suddenly appeared from the alley.
この路地は夜になると少し暗い。
This alley gets a bit dark at night.
noun
path through a gate or garden
A narrow path or walkway within a garden, temple grounds, or leading from a gate; often implies a more scenic or traditional setting than a city alley.
門を入ると、庭へ続く路地があった。
Once through the gate, there was a path leading to the garden.
noun
teahouse garden path
Only when written 路地
Specifically the path or garden area associated with a traditional teahouse; restricted to the 路地 kanji form.
茶室へ向かう路地には飛び石が敷かれていた。
Stepping stones were laid along the path leading to the teahouse.
小道 is a more general term for a small path or lane, often in natural settings, while 路地 typically refers to narrow urban alleys or specific garden paths.
横丁 is a side street or alley often lined with small shops and eateries, whereas 路地 is more about the narrow passage itself, not necessarily commercial.
路 (road) + 地 (ground/area). The spelling 露路 is ateji-like and rare. The word refers to a narrow passage or path, with the teahouse sense being a specialized extension.