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去处 (qù chù) — place (to go), destination

Definition

A place to go, often chosen for a specific purpose (sightseeing, reading, relaxing). Unlike 目的地 (the endpoint of a trip) or 终点 (a finish line), it emphasizes a suitable spot rather than arrival.

noun
place (to go)destination

Examples

  • 去处。
    Zhè ge chéng shì yǒu hěn duō zhí dé cān guān de qù chù.
    This city has many places worth visiting.
  • 去处。
    Xià tiān hǎi biān shì zuì hǎo de qù chù.
    In summer, the seaside is the best destination.
  • 去处。
    Tā zhèng zài xún zhǎo yí gè ān jìng de qù chù dú shū.
    He is looking for a quiet place to read.

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.

去qùgo
处chùplace

去 “go” and 处 “place” mean “place to go,” i.e. destination.

Characters in this word

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Travel & Tourism

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