勘察 (kān chá) — to survey, to reconnoiter (a site or area)

Definition

verb
to surveyto reconnoiter (a site or area)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 勘察。
    Dì zhì duì zhèng zài zhè piàn shān qū jìn xíng kān chá.
    The geological team is surveying this mountainous area.
  • 勘察。
    Tā men kān chá le sān tiān cái zhǎo dào hé shì de shuǐ yuán dì.
    It took them three days of surveying to find a suitable water source.
  • 勘察。
    Shī gōng qián bì xū zǐ xì kān chá dì jī de wěn dìng xìng.
    Before construction, one must carefully survey the stability of the foundation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

勘kānexamine
察cháobserve

「勘」 means examine and 「察」 means observe, together describing surveying a site.

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
力力lìstrong
Sound part声符shēngfú
甚
甚shèn勘kān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

勘 pairs 力 (strong) with 甚 (shèn) for sound; it means to look at carefully, strongly.

Open 勘 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì察chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 察 combines 宀, a roof, with 祭 as the sound part.

Open 察 →
Appears in
Science (General)

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