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害处 (hài chu) — harm, harmful effect, downside

Definition

The noun 'harm / harmful effect / downside' of something. Pairs with 有 / 没有 ('has / has no harm') to evaluate an action. Contrast with 好处, its direct opposite.

noun
harmharmful effectdownside
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 。
    Chōu yān duì shēn tǐ yǒu hài chu.
    Smoking is harmful to health.
  • 害处，。
    Cháng qī áo yè de hài chu hěn duō, bǐ rú jì yì lì xià jiàng.
    Staying up late regularly has many harmful effects, such as memory decline.
  • 害处，。
    Zhè ge jué dìng méi yǒu rèn hé hài chu, wǒ men kě yǐ fàng xīn zuò.
    This decision has no downsides; we can do it with confidence.

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.

害hàiharm
处chùpoint

害 (harm) and 处 (point) combine to mean a harmful point or downside.

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →

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 →
Appears in
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