处 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) place; locality; (bound form) part; aspect; (bound form) office; department; bureau
How to write 处, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 5
Meaning of 处
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) place; locality
- (bound form) part; aspect
- (bound form) office; department; bureau
- classifier for locations: spot, point
- to reside
- to live
- to dwell
- to be in
- to be situated at
- to stay
How 处 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To go somewhere 夂 and put down a flag 卜.
Radical: 夂 (to go), shared by 10 characters on this site.
How to remember 处
Picture a traveler walking along, 夂, who stops and plants a little flag, 卜, in the ground. That flagged spot is the place where they stay, which is why 处 means both a place (chù) and to reside (chǔ).
As chù it is mostly a noun meaning place, part, or office, as in 到处 (dàochù) everywhere and 好处 (hǎochù) benefit. As chǔ it is a verb meaning to be in, to deal with, or to get along, as in 处理 (chǔlǐ) and 相处 (xiāngchǔ). Example: 我们相处得很好。(Wǒmen xiāngchǔ de hěn hǎo.) We get along very well.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 处 as chù, but the verb words take the third tone: 处理 is chǔlǐ and 相处 is xiāngchǔ, while noun words like 好处 and 到处 use chù. In writing, do not swap 夂 for 攵 or 久; the left part of 处 is 夂.
Common words with 处
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 到处 | dàochù | everywhere | HSK 2 |
| 好处 | hǎochù | easy to get along with | HSK 2 |
| 坏处 | huàichù | harm; troubles | HSK 2 |
| 处理 | chǔlǐ | to handle; to deal with; to punish | HSK 3 |
| 长处 | chángchù | good aspects; strong points | HSK 3 |
| 短处 | duǎnchù | shortcoming; defect | HSK 3 |
| 相处 | xiāngchǔ | to be in contact (with sb); to associate | HSK 4 |
| 处于 | chǔyú | to be in (some state, position, or condition) | HSK 4 |
| 处在 | chǔzài | to be situated at; to find oneself at | HSK 5 |
| 深处 | shēnchù | abyss; depths | HSK 5 |
| 处罚 | chǔfá | to penalize; to punish | HSK 5 |
| 远处 | yuǎnchù | distant place | HSK 5 |
| 处分 | chǔfèn | to discipline sb; to punish | HSK 5 |
| 四处 | sìchù | all over the place; everywhere and all directions | HSK 6 |
处 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 处
Learning 处 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 处
How many strokes are in 处?
处 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 处 mean?
处 (chù) means (bound form) place; locality; (bound form) part; aspect; (bound form) office; department; bureau. A common word with it is 到处 (dàochù), meaning "everywhere".
How do you pronounce 处?
处 is pronounced chù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 处?
The radical of 处 is 夂, which carries the idea of "to go". Dictionaries list 处 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 处?
The traditional form of 处 is 處. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 处 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 处 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 处 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do I know whether to say chù or chǔ?
If 处 names a place, part, or office, say chù, as in 长处 (chángchù) and 短处 (duǎnchù). If it acts as a verb meaning to be in, to handle, or to live with, say chǔ, as in 处于 (chǔyú) and 处理 (chǔlǐ).
Can 处 be used as a measure word?
Yes. As chù it counts locations or spots, for example 两处伤 (liǎng chù shāng) two wounds, or 几处房子 (jǐ chù fángzi) a few houses. It sounds a bit more formal than 个 (gè).