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处以 (chǔ yǐ) — to sentence (someone) to (a penalty)

Definition

处以 (chǔ) is a formal/legal verb used when a court or authority sentences someone to a penalty — it pairs with the punishment itself (罚款, 死刑, 十年有期徒刑), not the person.

verb
to sentence (someone) to (a penalty)

Examples

  • 处以。
    Tā yīn wéi guī bèi chǔ yǐ fá kuǎn yì qiān yuán.
    He was fined one thousand yuan for violating the rules.
  • 处以。
    Fǎ yuàn chǔ yǐ bèi gào shí nián yǒu qī tú xíng.
    The court sentenced the defendant to ten years in prison.
  • ，处以。
    Zhè ge guó jiā fǎ lǜ guī dìng, fàn dú de rén chǔ yǐ sǐ xíng.
    The law of this country stipulates that drug traffickers are sentenced to death.

Origin

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.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Open 以 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

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