查禁 (chá jìn) — to ban, to prohibit

Definition

查禁 (chá jìn) means 'to ban' in the formal/official sense — an authority investigates and then prohibits (books, sites, events). Stronger and more official than the everyday 禁止.

verb
to banto prohibit

Examples

  • 查禁。
    Zhè běn xiǎo shuō yīn wèi nèi róng mǐn gǎn bèi chá jìn le.
    This novel was banned because its content is sensitive.
  • 查禁。
    Zhèng fǔ zuì jìn chá jìn le xǔ duō fēi fǎ wǎng zhàn.
    The government recently banned many illegal websites.
  • 查禁。
    Nà ge huó dòng yīn wèi ān quán yuán yīn bèi chá jìn le.
    That event was prohibited for safety reasons.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

查cháexamine
禁jìnprohibit

“查” (examine) and “禁” (prohibit) together mean to examine and ban.

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
示示shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
林
林lín禁jìn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

禁 has 林 above 示, an altar. The 林 part gives the sound, and the altar part connects the character to taboo or restricted matters.

Open 禁 →

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