TongTong
Sign in

拘留所 (jū liú suǒ) — detention center

Definition

noun
detention center
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 拘留所。
    Tā bèi sòng dào jū liú suǒ lǐ jiē shòu diào chá.
    He was sent to the detention center for investigation.
  • 拘留所。
    Jiā shǔ bù néng jìn rù jū liú suǒ tàn wàng.
    Family members cannot enter the detention center to visit.
  • 拘留所。
    Zhè ge jū liú suǒ lǐ yǒu liǎng bǎi rén.
    There are two hundred people in this detention center.

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.

拘留detain
拘jūdetain留liúhold
联合Coordinate
所suǒplace

拘 and 留 both mean to hold someone, and 所 is a place, so this is a place where people are held.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù拘jū
Same sound today

The left part of 拘 is 扌, the hand form written in full as 手; the right part 句 gives the sound jù.

Open 拘 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
卯
卯mǎo留liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

留 combines 田 (field) with 卯, which gives the sound.

Open 留 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →
Appears in
Buildings & StructuresCrime & Police

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.