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探查 (tàn chá) — to investigate, to examine

Definition

A formal verb for systematic investigation — 'to investigate, to examine' something to find facts or information, used in scientific, medical, and police contexts. More thorough and methodical than everyday 检查.

verb
to investigateto examine

Examples

  • 探查。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài tàn chá zhè piàn sēn lín.
    Scientists are exploring this forest.
  • 探查。
    Yī shēng zǐ xì tàn chá le tā de bìng qíng.
    The doctor carefully examined his condition.
  • 探查。
    Jǐng fāng tàn chá zhè ge àn jiàn yǐ jīng yǒu sān gè yuè le.
    The police have been investigating this case for three months.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

探tànprobe
查cháexamine

'探' and '查' are parallel actions of probing and examining.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍探tàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Open 探 →

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 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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