所 means “place”

ところ · tokoro

Also: extent

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ところ, どころ, とこ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ショ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 3 · 8 strokes

The story

A door (戸) and an axe (斤): the spot where firewood is split, the working heart of a homestead. 所 pins ideas to locations: a kitchen is 台所, an address is 住所.

Used in 台所 (daidokoro, kitchen), 住所 (juusho, address), and 場所 (basho, place)

More from Compass & Position

• 西 west
• 南 south
• 図 map
• 右 right
• 左 left
• 中 inside
• 後 behind
• 前 front
• 上 above
• 東 east
• 方 direction
• 外 outside

Learn 所 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.