别处 (bié chù) — another place; elsewhere

Definition

noun
another placeelsewhere

Examples

  • 别处。
    Wǒ men lí kāi zhè lǐ qù bié chù ba.
    Let's leave here and go somewhere else.
  • 别处，。
    Nà ge shāng diàn zài bié chù, bú zài zhè lǐ.
    That shop is somewhere else, not here.
  • 别处。
    Tā cóng bié chù gěi wǒ dài le yì běn shū.
    He brought me a book from another place.

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.

别biéother
处chùplace

别 means other and 处 means place, so it points to another place.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →

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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