置

zhì

HSK 3.0 7

Rank #677

Definitions

zhì (verb) to place; to put; to install

zhì (verb) to buy

Etymology

Simplified form of 習. Phonosemantic compound. 彗 represents the sound and 日 represents the meaning. Based on the original meaning "to scorch". The current meaning is a phonetic loan. The traditional component 日 was removed for simplification.

Semantic: 罒 Phonetic: 直

About

The character "置" is structured from the net radical "罒" positioned above the component "直", a phono-semantic compound where the lower element originally provided phonetic guidance while the upper radical suggested a semantic connection to notions of entanglement or arrangement. Early uses of the character encompassed meanings such as to release or to set aside, reflecting a sense of dispersal or removal, but its semantic range gradually narrowed and shifted toward the act of placing something deliberately or setting it in position. This transition from implying a letting go to denoting a firm establishment or installation became solidified through centuries of literary usage, with the character now primarily indicating actions like putting an object somewhere, installing apparatus, or making provisions, all while its architectural components remain integral to its written form.