出口处 (chū kǒu chǔ) — exit

Definition

noun
exit
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 出口处。
    Qǐng cóng chū kǒu chǔ lí kāi.
    Please leave from the exit.
  • 出口处。
    chū kǒu chǔ Yǒu gōng zuò rén yuán jiǎn chá piào.
    There are staff checking tickets at the exit.
  • 出口处。
    Wǒ men zài dì tiě zhàn de chū kǒu chǔ jiàn miàn ba.
    Let's meet at the exit of the subway station.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

出口exit
出chūgo out口kǒuopening
偏正Modifier + head
处chùplace

出口 gives exit, and 处 gives place, so the word names the place where an exit is.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Open 口 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 處; 处 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夂夂zhǐ
几几jǐtable
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū處chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 處 pairs 虍, giving the sound, with 夂 and 几, a table, as meaning parts. The simplified 处 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 处 →

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