深处
shēnchù · HSK 5
profound
🕳️ 深 = deep + 处 = place; literally 'deep place' = the depths
深 means deep (water + 罙 phonetic, originally water depth). 处 means place or location. Together: a deep place — the recesses, the bowels, the profound inner regions of something.
深 — water radical 氵 + 罙 (phonetic, depth)
深 combines the water radical 氵 with 罙, which depicts a hand reaching into a cave or hollow. Originally it described deep water, then broadened to mean 'deep' in any sense — distance, color, or feeling. The 氵 gives the meaning, while 罙 hints at both sound and the idea of reaching far in.
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.