地处 (dì chǔ) — (of a place) to be situated; to be located

Definition

A formal written verb meaning 'is situated at / located in' — used in reports, news, and descriptions of places or institutions. Pairs with a location or region (e.g. 地处…之中/以南), more literary than everyday 在. Pinyin is dì, not de.

verb
(of a place) to be situatedto be located
Easily confused

Examples

  • 地处。
    Zhè ge chéng shì dì chǔ cháng jiāng nán àn.
    This city is located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River.
  • 地处，。
    Gāi gōng sī dì chǔ shāng yè zhōng xīn, jiāo tōng fēi cháng fāng biàn.
    The company is located in the commercial center, with very convenient transportation.
  • 地处，。
    Wǒ men xué xiào dì chǔ shān qū, huán jìng yōu měi.
    Our school is located in a mountainous area, with a beautiful environment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

地dìplace
处chùbe located

地 (place) and 处 (be located) combine to mean that a place is situated somewhere.

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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 →

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