Definition
侦探 (zhēn tàn) is both a noun (detective) and a verb (to do detective work, typically investigating crimes). Its verb sense is more colloquial and everyday, whereas 侦查 (zhēn chá) is the formal legal term for a police investigation. Other siblings like 探测 (tàn cè) refer to scientific or technical probing, not criminal inquiry.
noun
detective
verb
to do detective workto investigate
Examples
- 侦探。Zhè wèi zhēn tàn pò guò hěn duō dà ànzi.This detective has solved many major cases.
- 侦探。Tā qǐng zhēn tàn diàochá le nà jiā gōngsī.He hired a detective to investigate that company.
- 侦探。Jǐngfāng zhèngzài zhēn tàn zhè qǐ shīzōng ànjiàn.The police are investigating this missing person case.
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