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求证 (qiú zhèng) — to seek proof or evidence (for a claim or theory); to seek confirmation; to verify

Definition

求证 means 'to seek proof' for a claim, hypothesis, or theory — the focus is on actively looking for evidence, unlike 证实 which states the evidence already exists. More scholarly than 确认, which is a general 'confirm'.

verb
to seek proof or evidence (for a claim or theory)to seek confirmationto verify

Examples

  • 求证。
    Jì zhě zhèng zài qiú zhèng shì jiàn de zhēn xiàng.
    The journalist is verifying the truth of the incident.
  • 求证。
    Jǐng fāng zhèng zài qiú zhèng tā tí gōng de zhèng jù.
    The police are verifying the evidence he provided.
  • 求证。
    Wǒ men xū yào jìn yí bù qiú zhèng zhè ge jiǎ shè.
    We need to further verify this hypothesis.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

求qiúseek
证zhèngproof

求 means to seek and 证 refers to proof, so 求证 means to look for confirmation.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

求 began as a drawing of a centipede.

Open 求 →

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 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Science (General)Thinking & Cognition

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