判处
pàn chǔ · HSK 7
to sentence
⚖️ 判 judge + 处 deal-with = the judge decides how to deal with you = to sentence
判 means to judge or decide; 处 means to handle or dispose of. Together they name what a court does after a verdict: hand down a sentence. The pàn in 判 also starts 判断 (to judge) and 法官 work.
判 — half 半 (phonetic) + knife 刂 (semantic)
判 combines 半 'half' with 刂 'knife', literally suggesting cutting something in two. The knife radical gives the meaning of dividing or judging, while 半 provides the sound. From 'splitting apart' it extended to 'discriminate, judge, decide'.
处 — 夂 (foot) + 几 (low table/stool)
Originally depicted a person stopping (夂, an inverted foot) beside a stool (几), suggesting someone settling down in a place. From 'to dwell/stay' the meaning broadened to 'place, location' (chù) and 'to handle, deal with' (chǔ). The simplified form drops the older 虍 top found in 處.