处理 (chǔlǐ)

处理 covers the full range of managing, resolving, and processing — from everyday problems to technical operations.

Meanings

[verb] To handle, to deal with, to manage, to take care of (a situation or problem).
[verb] To process, to treat (data, materials, or cases).

Example Sentences

她每天都要处理大量的工作邮件，效率非常高。 Tā měitiān dōu yào chǔlǐ dàliàng de gōngzuò yóujiàn, xiàolǜ fēicháng gāo. She has to handle a large volume of work emails every day, and her efficiency is very high.

这起纠纷必须按照法律程序妥善处理，不能私下解决。 Zhè qǐ jiūfēn bìxū ànzhào fǎlǜ chéngxù tuǒshàn chǔlǐ, bù néng sīxià jiějué. This dispute must be handled properly through legal procedures and cannot be resolved privately.

系统正在处理您的请求，请稍候。 Xìtǒng zhèngzài chǔlǐ nín de qǐngqiú, qǐng shāohòu. The system is processing your request; please wait a moment.

管理者处理突发事件的方式，往往能反映出他的领导能力。 Guǎnlǐzhě chǔlǐ tūfā shìjiàn de fāngshì, wǎngwǎng néng fǎnyìng chū tā de lǐngdǎo nénglì. The way a manager handles unexpected events often reflects their leadership ability.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
处理问题	to deal with a problem
妥善处理	to handle properly
处理数据	to process data
处理关系	to manage relationships
处理纠纷	to resolve a dispute

Usage Notes

处理 is versatile and appears in both formal and informal contexts. In technical fields it means "to process" (处理数据); in interpersonal or legal contexts it means "to resolve" or "to handle." The adverb 妥善 (properly/appropriately) is a very common companion: 妥善处理. Avoid using 处理 for simple physical actions — you would not say 处理苹果 to mean "peel an apple."

Memory Hook

处 means "place/deal with" and 理 means "to manage/order" — putting things in their proper place and ordering them is exactly what 处理 does.