處
place, locale, department
Strokes11
Readings
On'yomi
- ショ
Kun'yomi
- ところ
- -こ
- お.る
Meaning
處 centers on a physical or organizational location: a place, locale, or a department within a structure.
Study
Etymology
處 is the traditional form of 処. It combines 虍 (tiger) with 処 (place), but the exact historical role of the tiger component is uncertain; it may have originally been a phonetic or semantic element related to dwelling or stopping.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a tiger (虍) guarding a place (処) — a specific locale or department where the tiger resides.
Reading mnemonic
For ショ, imagine a show being held at this place: show -> ショ, and the tiger enclosure is the stage.