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揣测 (chuǎi cè) — to guess, to conjecture

Definition

揣测 means to guess or conjecture, often about motives or hidden causes. More formal and inference-oriented than the everyday 猜, and emphasizes subjective speculation more than the reasoning-based 推测.

verb
to guessto conjecture

Examples

  • 揣测。
    Zhè zhǐ bú guò shì nǐ de chuǎi cè bà liǎo.
    This is nothing but your conjecture.
  • 揣测。
    Wǒ men wú fǎ chuǎi cè tiān qì huì rú hé biàn huà.
    We cannot guess how the weather will change.
  • 揣测。
    Tā zǒng shì xǐ huan chuǎi cè bié rén de dòng jī.
    He always likes to guess other people's motives.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

揣chuāiguess/estimate
测cèmeasure/infer

The meanings of 揣 and 测 both involve forming a judgment, together giving the sense of guessing.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
耑
耑zhuān揣chuǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

揣 combines 手, a hand, with 耑, which gives the sound.

Open 揣 →

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 測; 测 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
則
則zé測cè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 測 combines 氵 (water) with 則 for the sound; it is explained as measuring the depth of water. The simplified 测 is a later shorthand.

Open 测 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Thinking & Cognition

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.