严查 (yán chá) — to investigate strictly; to crack down on

Definition

严查 combines 严 ('strict') with 查 ('investigate'), used for official crackdowns on wrongdoing such as food safety or corruption. The English sense at this level is the strict, formal 'to crack down on.'

verb
to investigate strictlyto crack down on

Examples

  • 严查。
    Zhèng fǔ bù mén zhèng zài yán chá shí pǐn ān quán wèn tí.
    Government departments are strictly investigating food safety issues.
  • 严查，。
    Gōng sī yán chá cái wù lòu dòng, fáng zhǐ fǔ bài.
    The company strictly investigates financial loopholes to prevent corruption.
  • 严查。
    Xué xiào duì kǎo shì zuò bì xíng wéi jìn xíng yán chá.
    The school conducts strict investigations into cheating on exams.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

严yánstrict
查cháinvestigate

严 means strict, so 严查 is to investigate or crack down on something with strictness.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 嚴; 严 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
喦喦yántalkative
Sound part声符shēngfú
敢
敢gǎn嚴yán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 嚴 combines 喦 (talkative) and 敢 (daring); the simplified 严 is a later shorthand.

Open 严 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě查chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

查 pairs 木 (wood) with 且, which shows the sound. It originally meant a hawthorn tree or a wooden raft.

Open 查 →

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