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侦查 (zhēn chá) — to investigate (a crime, case, or suspicious activity); to detect

Definition

侦查 is a formal/legal term for investigating a crime or case — done by police or authorities. Unlike 侦探 (detective work) or 查处 (investigate AND punish), 侦查 focuses on the inquiry itself.

verb
to investigate (a crime, case, or suspicious activity)to detect

Examples

  • 侦查。
    Jǐng fāng zhèng zài zhēn chá yì qǐ dào qiè àn.
    The police are investigating a theft case.
  • 侦查。
    Zhè ge àn zi yǐ jīng zhēn chá le liǎng gè yuè.
    This case has been under investigation for two months.
  • 侦查，。
    Jīng guò zǐ xì zhēn chá, tā men zhǎo dào le guān jiàn zhèng jù.
    After a careful investigation, they found key evidence.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

侦zhēninvestigate
查cháexamine

侦 and 查 both denote looking into something, so 侦查 means to investigate a case.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 偵; 侦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺅Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
貞
貞zhēn偵zhēn
Same sound today

The traditional form 偵 pairs ⺅ (person) with 貞, which gives the sound and the idea of asking; the simplified 侦 is a later shorthand.

Open 侦 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Crime & Police

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