查清 (chá qīng) — to investigate thoroughly, to get to the bottom of

Definition

查清 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'investigate thoroughly' — the result complement 清 stresses getting to the full, clear answer, not just looking into something.

verb
to investigate thoroughlyto get to the bottom of

Examples

  • 查清。
    Jǐng chá zhèng zài chá qīng zhè ge àn jiàn.
    The police are investigating this case thoroughly.
  • ？
    Zhè ge wèn tí nǐ chá dé qīng ma?
    Can you get to the bottom of this problem?
  • 查清。
    Wǒ men bì xū chá qīng shì gù de yuán yīn.
    We must thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

查cháinvestigate
清qīngclear

查 until the matter is 清, giving a clear result.

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
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 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng清qīng
Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Open 清 →

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