Wiktionary

所

所 U+6240, 所
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6240
← 房
[U+623F] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 扁 →
[U+6241]

Translingual

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Stroke order
 
Stroke order (Japan)
 
Stroke order
 
Japanese 所
Simplified 所
Traditional 所

Alternative forms

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Note different composition due to different forms of 戶, namely 户 (in some Japanese fonts more resembles 戸).

Han character

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所 (Kangxi radical 63, 戶+4, 8 strokes, Cangjie input 竹尸竹一中 (HSHML), four-corner 72221, composition ⿰戶斤 (GTK) or ⿰戸斤(J))

Derived characters

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Descendants

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 415, character 16
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 11715
  • Dae Jaweon: page 760, character 2
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2259, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+6240

Chinese

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simp. and trad.
 所
alternative forms 㪽
𠩄
𫝂
𫠦
𬻔

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character 所
Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
     
Characters in the same phonetic series (戸) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
妒 *tqaːs
雇 *kʷaːs, *ɡʷaːʔ
顧 *kʷaːs
戽 *qʰʷaːʔ, *qʰʷaːs, *ɡʷaːʔ
戶 *ɡʷaːʔ
扈 *ɡʷaːʔ
帍 *ɡʷaːʔ
昈 *ɡʷaːʔ
滬 *ɡʷaːʔ
簄 *ɡʷaːʔ
齭 *skʰraʔ, *sqʰraʔ
所 *sqʰraʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *sqʰraʔ): phonetic 戶 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ) + semantic 斤 (“axe”) – the sound of logging (the definition given in Shuowen).

Etymology

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From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/k-ra (“place”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Burmese ရာ (ra, “place”).

Baxter and Sagart (2014) relates it to 處 (OC *t.qʰaʔ, “to be at”), 處 (OC *t.qʰaʔ-s, “place”), 許 (OC *qʰ(r)aʔ, “place”).

Pronunciation

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Note: su3 - used in 無所謂.
Note:
  • sū - literary;
  • nē̤ - vernacular.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 所
Mandarin Beijing /suo²¹⁴/
Harbin /suo²¹³/
Tianjin /suo¹³/
Jinan /ʂuə⁵⁵/
Qingdao /suə⁵⁵/ ～以
/ʂuə⁵⁵/ 場～
Zhengzhou /ʂuo⁵³/
Xi'an /fo⁵³/
Xining /fɔ⁵³/
Yinchuan /suə⁵³/
Lanzhou /fə⁴⁴²/
Ürümqi /suɤ⁵¹/
Wuhan /suo⁴²/
Chengdu /so⁵³/
Guiyang /so⁴²/
Kunming /so⁵³/
Nanjing /so²¹²/
Hefei /sʊ²⁴/
Jin Taiyuan /suɤ⁵³/
Pingyao /suə⁵³/
Hohhot /suɤ⁵³/
Wu Shanghai /su³⁵/
Suzhou /səu⁵¹/
Hangzhou /su⁵³/
Wenzhou /so³⁵/
Hui Shexian /so³⁵/
Tunxi /so³¹/
Xiang Changsha /so⁴¹/
Xiangtan /so⁴²/
Gan Nanchang /so²¹³/
/su²¹³/ 無～謂
Hakka Meixian /so³¹/
Taoyuan /so³¹/
Cantonese Guangzhou /sɔ³⁵/
Nanning /ɬɔ³⁵/
Hong Kong /sɔ³⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /sɔ⁵³/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /su³²/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /su²¹/
Shantou (Teochew) /so⁵³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /to²¹³/
Rime
Character 所
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 生 (21)
Final (韻) 魚 (22)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 踈舉切
Baxter srjoX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/ʃɨʌX/
Pan
Wuyun 		/ʃiɔX/
Shao
Rongfen 		/ʃiɔX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/ʂɨə̆X/
Li
Rong 		/ʃiɔX/
Wang
Li 		/ʃĭoX/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/ʂi̯woX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		shǔ
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		so2
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 所 所
Reading # 1/2 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		suǒ suǒ
Middle
Chinese 		‹ srjoX › ‹ xuX ›
Old
Chinese 		/*s-qʰ<r>aʔ/ /*qʰaʔ/
English place (n.); that which 所所 = 許許 = 滸滸 sound of hewing wood

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 所
Reading # 1/1
No. 5306
Phonetic
component 		戸
Rime
group 		魚
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		所
Old
Chinese 		/*sqʰraʔ/

Definitions

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所

  1. (in compounds) place; location
    住所  ―  zhùsuǒ  ―  residence
    廁所／厕所  ―  cèsuǒ  ―  toilet
    哨所  ―  shàosuǒ  ―  (military) post
  2. establishment for a particular function; institution
    派出所  ―  pàichūsuǒ  ―  local police station
    所長／所长  ―  suǒzhǎng  ―  head of an establishment
    病毒所  ―  bìngdú suǒ  ―  institute of virology
  3. Classifier for buildings, schools, hospitals, etc. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier
  4. Prefix attached to verbs to form noun phrases, indicating the patient of the verb, similar to a passive participle.
    所以  ―  suǒyǐ  ―  what one uses; what one relies on; means > the reason why > therefore
    所得  ―  suǒdé  ―  income (literally, “what is gained”)
    所見即所得／所见即所得  ―  suǒjiànjísuǒdé  ―  what you see is what you get
    所長／所长  ―  suǒcháng  ―  forte (what one is good at)
    無所謂／无所谓  ―  wúsuǒwèi  ―  to be irrelevant (literally, “to not [have or be] what one can refer to [as]”)
    你所用的電腦／你所用的电脑  ―  nǐ suǒ yòng de diànnǎo  ―  the computer used by you
    不知所云  ―  bùzhī suǒ yún  ―  do not know what is said
  5. Used with 為／为 (wéi) or 被 (bèi) to form the passive voice.
  6. (Mainland China Hokkien) about; approximately; around (placed after 十 (cha̍p))

Synonyms

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Dialectal synonyms of 所 (“(classifier for houses)”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 所
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 所
Chengde 所
Chifeng 所
Hulunbuir (Hailar) 所
Heihe 所
Qiqihar 所
Harbin 所
Jiamusi 所
Baicheng 所
Changchun 所
Tonghua 所
Shenyang 所
Jinzhou 所兒
Jilu Mandarin Tianjin 所
Tangshan 所
Cangzhou 所兒
Baoding 所兒
Shijiazhuang 所
Lijin 所
Jinan 所
Jiaoliao Mandarin Dandong 所
Yantai 棟
Qingdao 棟
Zhucheng 棟
Central Plains Mandarin Lingbao 所
Jining 所
Linfen 處
Shangqiu 所
Yuanyang 所
Zhengzhou 所兒
Xinyang 所
Xi'an 所
Tianshui 所
Dunhuang (Hedong dialect) 所
Xuzhou 所
Fuyang 所
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 所
Lanzhou 所
Hami 所
Ürümqi 所
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 墩
Nanchong 所
Dazhou 座
Hanyuan 墩
Xichang 墩
Chongqing 廂
Wuhan 所
Yichang 所
Xiangyang 所
Tianmen 所
Guiyang 棟
Zunyi 棟
Bijie 座, 向
Liping 幢
Zhaotong 所
Dali 所
Kunming 所
Mengzi 所
Guilin 所
Changde 所
Hanzhong 所
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 棟
Yangzhou 座
Lianyungang 所
Lianshui 宅
Nantong 所
Anqing 座
Wuhu 座
Hefei 所
Hong'an 所
Cantonese Guangzhou 間
Hong Kong 間
Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) 間
Macau 間
Guangzhou (Panyu) 間
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 間
Guangzhou (Conghua) 間
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 間
Foshan 間
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 間
Foshan (Shunde) 間
Foshan (Sanshui) 間
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 間
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 間
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) 間
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) 間
Zhuhai (Doumen) 間
Jiangmen (Baisha) 間
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 間
Taishan 間
Kaiping (Chikan) 間
Enping (Niujiang) 間
Heshan (Yayao) 座
Dongguan 間
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 間
Qingyuan 間
Fogang 間
Yingde (Hanguang) 間
Yangshan 座
Lianshan (Butian) 間
Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui) 間
Shaoguan 間
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 間
Renhua 間
Lechang 棟
Zhaoqing (Gaoyao) 間
Sihui 間
Guangning 間
Deqing 間
Huaiji 間
Fengkai (Nanfeng) 間
Yunfu 間
Xinxing 間
Luoding 間
Yunan (Pingtai) 間
Hakka Meixian 間
Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) 間
Dongguan (Qingxi) 間
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 間
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 間
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) 棟
Huizhou Shexian 堂
Jin Taiyuan 所
Yangyuan 所
Changzhi 所
Linhe 所
Jining 所
Hohhot 所
Erenhot 所
Pingshan 所
Zhangjiakou 所
Handan 所
Southern Min Shantou 間
Jieyang 間, 座
Haikou 間
Zhongshan Min Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) 間

Compounds

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Descendants

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Sino-Xenic (所):
  • → Japanese: 所(しょ) (sho)
  • → Korean: 소(所) (so)
  • → Vietnamese: sở (所)

Others:

Further reading

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  • “所”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎[4], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
  • 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “所”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 140.

Japanese

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Shinjitai 所
Kyūjitai
[1]
所󠄁
所+&#xE0101;?
(Adobe-Japan1) 		 
所󠄃
所+&#xE0103;?
(Hanyo-Denshi)
(Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment.
See here for details.

Kanji

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所

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

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Compounds

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Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
所
しょ
Grade: 3
goon

From Middle Chinese 所 (MC srjoX).

Pronunciation

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Counter

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所(しょ) • (-sho) 

  1. places

Prefix

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所(しょ) • (sho-) 

  1. forms passive participles
Derived terms
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Suffix

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所(しょ) • (-sho) 

  1. place
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
所
ところ
Grade: 3
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
処

⟨to2ko2ro2⟩ → /tokoro/

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.[2] From Proto-Japonic *təkərə. Likely cognate with 床 (toko, “raised area; bed”).

A surface analysis suggests that this could be an ancient compound of ⟨to2⟩ (Proto-Japonic *to (“place”), as in 跡 ⟨ato2⟩, “footprint, track”, from “foot place, where one has stepped”) + ⟨ko2⟩ (noun-forming suffixing element denoting “place”, as in ここ ⟨ko2ko2⟩, “here”, from “this place”) + ⟨ro2⟩ (noun-forming suffixing element, apparently indicating within a general area, possibly as in 心 ⟨ko2ko2ro2⟩, “heart, mind, emotions”, 頃 ⟨ko2ro2⟩, “general span of time, around a certain time”, うつろ ⟨uturo2⟩, “hollowness, empty interior”). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

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The odaka version is used when:

  • it is preceded by a modifier, such as in 山田さんの所に (Yamada-san no tokoro ni, “at Yamada-san's place”)
  • it appears as a grammatical element, such as in ところが (tokoro ga, “however”) or ところで (tokoro de, “by the way”)

Noun

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所(ところ) • (tokoro) 

  1. a place, a scene, a site; an address
    遠(とお)い所(ところ)に行(い)ってみたい。
    Tōi tokoro ni itte mitai.
    I want to go to a faraway place.
    あの窓(まど)のところにいる人(ひと)は誰(だれ)？
    Ano mado no tokoro ni iru hito wa dare?
    Who is the person by that window?
  2. aspect, part
    Synonyms: 点(てん) (ten), 部(ぶ)分(ぶん) (bubun)
    嫌(いや)なところを直(なお)す
    iya na tokoro o naosu
    to change the unpleasant aspect (of one's personality)
  3. a figurative place that facilitates or promotes something; a point in time or state of affairs
    現在(げんざい)のところ対応(たいおう)しておりません
    genzai no tokoro taiō shite orimasen
    As of now, it is unsupported.
    (literally, “(At the) present's time, compatability being done is not available.”)
  4. a state of being
    1. (after a plain verb) about to
      映(えい)画(が)を見(み)に行(い)くところだった。
      Eiga o mi ni iku tokoro datta.
      I was about to go to a movie.
      忘(わす)れるところだった。
      Wasureru tokoro datta.
      I was on the brink of forgetting.
    2. (after a verb in the past tense) just
      駅(えき)に着(つ)いたところです。
      Eki ni tsuita tokoro desu.
      I just arrived at the station.
      • 2025 August 15 (last accessed), 長友慎治 [Shinji Nagatomo], quotee, “第217回国会　衆議院　予算委員会　第7号　令和7年2月7日 [217th Diet, House of Representatives, Budget Committee, No. 7, February 7, 2025]”, in 国会会議録検索システム [Diet Proceedings Search System]‎[5], 国立国会図書館 [National Diet Library]:
        実は、私の地元にもまさにこういう状況の場所がありまして、先日話を聞いたところなんですね。
        Jitsu wa, watashi no jimoto ni mo masa ni kō iu jōkyō no basho ga ari mashite, senjitsu hanashi o kiita tokoro nan desu ne.
        Actually, there is a place in my hometown that is exactly like this, and I heard about it just the other day.
    3. (after a verb in the progressive ている) indicates the current state, or how you have progressed so far in a chain of actions
      今(いま)、敬(けい)語(ご)を勉(べん)強(きょう)しているところです。[6]
      Ima, keigo o benkyō shite iru tokoro desu.
      I'm now learning polite language.
    4. (after a verb in the past tense) at that point in time, upon
      調(しら)べたところ何(なに)も見(み)つからなかった。
      Shirabeta tokoro nanimo mitsukaranakatta.
      Upon looking into it, I found nothing.
  5. (literary, calque of Literary Chinese 所 (suǒ)) Attaches to verbs to form noun phrases, meaning the object of that verb.
    望(のぞ)むところだ。
    Nozomu tokoro da.
    Just what I wanted. (said in response to an opponent's proposed challenge)
    己(おのれ)の欲(ほっ)せざる所(ところ)、人(ひと)に施(ほどこ)すこと勿(なか)れ
    Onore no hossezaru tokoro, hito ni hodokosu koto nakare
    What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others (kundoku form of 己所不欲，勿施於人)
Derived terms
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Etymology 3

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Kanji in this term
所
とこ
Grade: 3
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
処

Listed in some sources as an abbreviation of tokoro above.[6][3][7] However, this is also listed as cognate with 床 (toko, “raised area; bed”),[6] which term already appears in use as far back as the Kojiki (712 CE), one of the oldest Japanese texts.[8]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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所(とこ) • (toko) 

  1. (informal, spoken) alternative form of 所 (tokoro)

Etymology 4

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    Kanji in this term
    所
    と
    Grade: 3
    kun'yomi
    Alternative spelling
    処

    ⟨to1⟩ → /*tʷo/ → /to/

    From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *to. Appears mainly as an affixing element indicating place, as in 後 (ato, “after; behind; the back of something”), from 跡 (ato, “footprint, track”), itself a compound of 足 (a, “foot”) + 所 (to, “place”); or in 留まる (todomaru, “to stop in a place”), itself a compound of と (to, “place”) + とまる (tomaru, “to stop”).

    (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “See talk.”)

    Pronunciation

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    Affix

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    所(と) • (to) 

    1. place
    Derived terms
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    References

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    1. ^ “所”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026
    2. ^ “所・処”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[2] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
    7. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
    8. ^ “床”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[3] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

    Korean

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    Etymology

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    (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

    Pronunciation

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    Hanja

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    Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

    所 (eumhun 바 소 (ba so))

    1. hanja form? of 소 (“place”)

    Compounds

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    Okinawan

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    Kanji

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    所

    (Third grade kyōiku kanji)

    Readings

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    Compounds

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    Noun

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    所(とぅくる) (tukuru) 

    1. area, location, spot

    Suffix

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    所(しゅ) (-shu) 

    1. place, field

    Vietnamese

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    Han character

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    所: Hán Việt readings: sở[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
    所: Nôm readings: thửa[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8], sửa[1][2][3][4][5], sỡ[3][4][5], thuở[2], sớ[5], sã[8]

    1. chữ Hán form of sở (“workplace; (government) department”)
    2. chữ Nôm form of sửa (“to repair; to correct; to put right”)
    3. chữ Nôm form of thửa
      1. Indicates plots of cultivated land such as gardens, fields, etc.
      2. (obsolete, chiefly in translations of Chinese texts) Used as an equivalent to 所, 其, 攸, or 厥.
        1. nominalizes verbs or adjectives
          • 汝曹所樂、吾心自羞。 [Vietnamese Literary Sinitic, trad.]
            From: 《新編傳奇漫錄》
            Nhữ tào sở lạc, ngô tâm tự tu. [Sino-Vietnamese]
            What pleasure you all take in, my heart is ashamed of itself.
          • 1774, 新編傳奇漫錄增補解音集註 [Tân biên Truyền kỳ mạn lục tăng bổ giải âm tập chú, Newly Edited Collection of Truyền kỳ mạn lục with Supplemented Annotations, Phonetic Explanations, and Collected Notes]‎[8], volume 4, page 56b:
            衆眉所𢝙、𢚸些擬虎。
            Chúng mày thửa vui, lòng ta nghỉ hổ.
            What pleasure you all take in, my heart is ashamed of itself.
        2. demonstrative particle
          • 鄭見其人 [Vietnamese Literary Sinitic, trad.]
            From: 《新編傳奇漫錄》
            Trịnh kiến kỳ nhân. [Sino-Vietnamese]
            Trịnh saw that person.
          • 1763, 新編傳奇漫錄增補解音集註 [Tân biên Truyền kỳ mạn lục tăng bổ giải âm tập chú, Newly Edited Collection of Truyền kỳ mạn lục with Supplemented Annotations, Phonetic Explanations, and Collected Notes]‎[9], volume 2, page 3b:
            官太守体所㝵意
            Quan Thái thú thấy thửa người ấy.
            The governor saw that person.
        3. third person pronoun
        4. a place, location
          • 君子有攸往 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]
            From: 《易經》
            Quân tử hữu du vãng. [Pinyin]
            The junzi has a place to go to.
          • 1815, 周易解義演歌 [Chu dịch giải nghĩa diễn ca, Versified Explanation of the Meanings of the Zhou Yi]‎[11], volume 1, page 14a:
            㝵君子固所𠫾
            Người quân tử có thửa đi.
            The junzi has a place to go to.

    Compounds

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    References

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    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nguyễn (2014).
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Trần (2004).
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Takeuchi (1988).
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Hồ (1976).
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bonet (1899).
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Génibrel (1898).
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
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