检 (jiǎn) — (bound form) to check, inspect, examine; also to restrain in certain compounds
Definition
检 (jiǎn) is a bound morpheme meaning 'to check/inspect/examine'; it rarely stands alone and only appears in compounds like 检查 (check up), 检验 (test), and 检讨 (review).
bound form
to checkinspectexaminealso to restrain in certain compounds
Examples
- 。Yī shēng gěi wǒ jiǎn chá le shēn tǐ.The doctor gave me a check-up.
- 。Shí yàn shì zhèng zài jiǎn yàn zhè pī chǎn pǐn.The lab is testing this batch of products.
- 。Tā jiǎn tǎo le zì jǐ de xíng wéi.He examined his own behavior.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 檢; 检 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān檢jiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 檢 pairs 木 (wood) with 僉 as a sound part; it may originally have pictured a blade on top of a wooden spear. The simplified 检 is a later shorthand.
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