The word **共处 (gòngchǔ)** is formed through the combination of two independent characters: **共 (gòng)**, meaning "together" or "jointly," and **处 (chǔ)**, meaning "to handle," "to be situated," or "to deal with." When compounded, the meaning extends metaphorically from the literal act of "handling something together" to the abstract concept of "coexisting" or "living together," illustrating a common pattern in Chinese where concrete verb-object or parallel verb constructions evolve to express more complex, relational ideas.