察 (chá) — to inspect, to examine closely
Definition
察 is a bound form meaning 'to inspect/examine' that only appears in compounds like 观察, 考察, 审查, 调查. It carries a sense of careful, close investigation — stronger than 看, more formal than 查.
bound form
to inspectto examine closely
Examples
- 。Tā zǐ xì guān chá le xiàn chǎng de qíng kuàng.He carefully observed the situation at the scene.
- 察。Zhè fèn bào gào xū yào rèn zhēn shěn chá.This report needs to be carefully examined.
- 。Gōng sī pài tā qù xiàng mù xiàn chǎng kǎo chá.The company sent him to investigate the project site.
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.
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.
Appears in
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