他处 (tā chǔ) — another place; elsewhere

Definition

noun
another placeelsewhere
Easily confused

Examples

  • 他处。
    tā chǔ Yě yǒu lèi sì de wèn tí.
    Another place also has similar problems.
  • 他处。
    Tā cóng tā chǔ bān dào le zhè lǐ.
    He moved here from another place.
  • ，他处。
    Rú guǒ nǐ zài zhè lǐ zhǎo bú dào dá àn, bù fáng qù tā chǔ kàn kàn.
    If you can't find the answer here, you might as well go and look elsewhere.

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.

他tāother
处chùplace

他 means other, and 处 means place, so it refers to another place.

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
亻Written in full as人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě他tā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

他 combines 亻 (a person) with 也, which was chosen for its sound.

Open 他 →

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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