<p><strong>四方</strong> / <strong>四处</strong></p>
<p><em><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%A4%A7%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/1652770" rel="nofollow noreferrer">现代汉语大词典</a></em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>东南西北四个方向</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>四处 (or 四方) = north, south, east and west</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p><strong>八方</strong></p>
<p><em><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8F%A4%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%A4%A7%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">古汉语大词典</a></em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>四方(东、南、西、北)四隅(东南、东北、西南、西北)的总称。</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>八方 = (north, south, east and west) + southeast,  northeast, southwest and northwest</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p>四方 and 四处 can be used interchangeably. There is also a third one: 四面.</p>
<p>Another word you might want to know:</p>
<ul>
<li>十面 = ((north, south, east and west) + southeast,  northeast, southwest and northwest) + up and down.</li>
</ul>
<p>八处 doesn't seem to be a thing, but 八面 does exist.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-05T13:52:28.053Z
十 in 十面 is a metaphorical number. It implies 'all'  or 'total' as in 十面埋伏 (ambush in all directions); 十全十美 (perfect in all aspects)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-05T13:45:26.460Z
2020-11-07T18:53:05.280Z
2020-11-07T18:53:05.280Z
Mou某
<p>Many Chinese numbers are used as a metaphorical number</p>
<ul>
<li><p>四 in 四处 (everywhere) doesn't mean 'four', it means 'every'</p>
</li>
<li><p>四 in 四面 (all sides) doesn't mean 'four', it means 'all'</p>
</li>
<li><p>When 面 is used as a classifier, 四 would be a regular number 'four' e.g. 房屋的四面墙 (the four walls of the house)</p>
</li>
<li><p>八 in 八方 (all directions) doesn't mean 'eight', it means 'all'</p>
</li>
<li><p>四面八方 is more often written as 四方八面, both mean 'everywhere; all directions'</p>
</li>
<li><p>十 in 十面 (all sides) doesn't mean 'ten', it means 'all' or total as in 十面埋伏 (ambush in all directions); 十全十美 (perfect in all aspects)</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-05T16:26:35.540Z
2020-11-05T16:32:57.163Z
2020-11-05T16:32:57.163Z
Tang Ho
<p>四面、八方、十方、十面 or 四面八方 usually means everywhere or every directions.</p>
<p>e.g.</p>
<p>從四面八方過來的人潮讓這裡熱鬧非凡。(It means people come from everywhere instead of from east, west, north, south..etc.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-05T14:31:07.753Z
2020-11-05T14:41:03.800Z
2020-11-05T14:41:03.800Z
HungYu Chang
<p>I take 四处 as <em><strong>everywhere</strong></em>, 八方 <em><strong>north, south, west and east，northeast, Northwest, southeast, southwest</strong></em>.</p>
<p>Basically, they are not interchangeable.  E. g.  你四处找找。 not 你八方找找。</p>
<p>八方 is usually used in the phrase 四面八方(from all the directions;everywhere).  E. g. 四面八方到处都是人。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-06T01:22:47.427Z
2020-11-07T07:27:11.693Z
2020-11-07T07:27:11.693Z
dan
<p>I have a hunch about the difference between 八方 and 四处.</p>
<p>四处 includes north, south, west and east. 八方 includes these four + up, down, forward, backward.</p>
<p>Three questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>Is my assumption correct?</li>
<li>Do native speakers really differenciate between these two phrases or they use them interchangibly?</li>
<li>Is there a reason why 八 is connected with 方 and not with 处? Is there a difference in the sense of &quot;direction&quot; given by 方 and 处?</li>
</ol>

<word-choice><phrase>
What four directions which are not described by 四处 are described by 八方?
# What four directions which are not described by 四处 are described by 八方?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-05)

I have a hunch about the difference between 八方 and 四处.

四处 includes north, south, west and east. 八方 includes these four + up, down, forward, backward.

Three questions:

1. Is my assumption correct?
2. Do native speakers really differenciate between these two phrases or they use them interchangibly?
3. Is there a reason why 八 is connected with 方 and not with 处? Is there a difference in the sense of "direction" given by 方 and 处?

**Tags:** word-choice, phrase


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-11-05. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

**四方** / **四处**

*[现代汉语大词典](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%A4%A7%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/1652770)*

> 东南西北四个方向

* 四处 (or 四方) = north, south, east and west

---

**八方**

*[古汉语大词典](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8F%A4%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%A4%A7%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8)*

> 四方(东、南、西、北)四隅(东南、东北、西南、西北)的总称。

* 八方 = (north, south, east and west) + southeast, northeast, southwest and northwest

---

四方 and 四处 can be used interchangeably. There is also a third one: 四面.

Another word you might want to know:

* 十面 = ((north, south, east and west) + southeast, northeast, southwest and northwest) + up and down.

八处 doesn't seem to be a thing, but 八面 does exist.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: 十 in 十面 is a metaphorical number. It implies 'all'  or 'total' as in 十面埋伏 (ambush in all directions); 十全十美 (perfect in all aspects)  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-11-05. Score: 1

Many Chinese numbers are used as a metaphorical number

* 四 in 四处 (everywhere) doesn't mean 'four', it means 'every'
* 四 in 四面 (all sides) doesn't mean 'four', it means 'all'
* When 面 is used as a classifier, 四 would be a regular number 'four' e.g. 房屋的四面墙 (the four walls of the house)
* 八 in 八方 (all directions) doesn't mean 'eight', it means 'all'
* 四面八方 is more often written as 四方八面, both mean 'everywhere; all directions'
* 十 in 十面 (all sides) doesn't mean 'ten', it means 'all' or total as in 十面埋伏 (ambush in all directions); 十全十美 (perfect in all aspects)


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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-11-05. Score: 0

四面、八方、十方、十面 or 四面八方 usually means everywhere or every directions.

e.g.

從四面八方過來的人潮讓這裡熱鬧非凡。(It means people come from everywhere instead of from east, west, north, south..etc.)


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-11-06. Score: 0

I take 四处 as ***everywhere***, 八方 ***north, south, west and east，northeast, Northwest, southeast, southwest***.

Basically, they are not interchangeable. E. g. 你四处找找。 not 你八方找找。

八方 is usually used in the phrase 四面八方(from all the directions;everywhere). E. g. 四面八方到处都是人。


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