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查获 (chá huò) — to track down and seize (criminal suspects, contraband, etc.)

Definition

查获 means 'to track down and seize' — combines investigation (查) with seizure, used when authorities (police, customs) uncover and confiscate contraband or suspects. Stronger than 抓 and more investigative than 捕 or 捕获.

verb
to track down and seize (criminal suspects, contraband, etc.)

Examples

  • 查获。
    Jǐng fāng zài biān jìng chá huò le liǎng míng dú fàn.
    The police tracked down and seized two drug traffickers at the border.
  • 查获。
    Hǎi guān chá huò le yì pī jiǎ mào shē chǐ pǐn.
    Customs seized a batch of counterfeit luxury goods.
  • 查获。
    Zhí fǎ bù mén chá huò le dà liàng dào bǎn guāng dié.
    The law enforcement authorities seized a large number of pirated discs.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

查cháinvestigate
获huòobtain

查 (investigate) and 获 (obtain) together mean track down and seize.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獲; 获 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
蒦
蒦huò獲huò
Same sound today

The traditional form 獲 combines 犭 (dog) with 蒦, a sound part, to show catching animals with a dog. The simplified 获 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 获 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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