The word "事务所" is formed by combining three meaningful characters: "事" (shì), meaning matter or affair; "务" (wù), meaning task or duty; and "所" (suǒ), meaning a place or institute. Conceptually, it builds from the idea of "matters" and "duties" to the "place" where such professional or official tasks are handled, thus naturally arriving at the meaning of an office, agency, or firm (like a law or accounting firm).