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和睦相处 (hé mù xiāng chù) — to get along harmoniously; to live in harmony

Definition

A formal four-character idiom meaning to get along harmoniously, often used for families, neighbors, or groups in society. Pairs with 融洽, which describes the resulting warm atmosphere.

idiom
to get along harmoniouslyto live in harmony

Examples

  • 和睦相处，。
    Tā men yì jiā rén hé mù xiāng chù, cóng bù chǎo jià.
    Their family gets along harmoniously, never quarreling.
  • 和睦相处，。
    Lín lǐ zhī jiān yīng gāi hé mù xiāng chù, hù xiāng bāng zhù.
    Neighbors should get along harmoniously and help each other.
  • 和睦相处，。
    Zhǐ yǒu dà jiā hé mù xiāng chù, shè huì cái néng wěn dìng fā zhǎn.
    Only if everyone gets along harmoniously can society develop stably.

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.

和睦harmonious
和héharmonious睦mùfriendly
联合Coordinate
相处get along
相xiāngmutually处chùdeal with
偏正Modifier + head

和 and 睦 both suggest harmony, while 相 and 处 suggest dealing with one another, so the whole means getting along harmoniously.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé和hé
Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

Open 和 →

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
目目mùeyes
Sound part声符shēngfú
坴
坴lù睦mù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

睦 combines 目, eyes, with 坴, which gives the sound.

Open 睦 →

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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
Idioms & Set PhrasesFriends & Social

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