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搜查 (sōu chá) — to search

Definition

搜查 is 'to search' in a legal or security context — police, customs, or guards inspecting a person, vehicle, or place. Unlike 搜索 (general searching, including digital/online), 搜查 implies official authority.

verb
to search

Examples

  • 搜查。
    Jǐng chá zhèng zài sōu chá nà liàng chē.
    The police are searching that car.
  • 搜查，。
    Tā men sōu chá le suǒ yǒu de fáng jiān, dàn méi yǒu fā xiàn shén me.
    They searched all the rooms but didn't find anything.
  • 搜查。
    Bǎo ān xū yào sōu chá měi gè rén de bāo.
    The security guard needs to search everyone's bag.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

搜sōusearch
查chácheck

'搜' and '查' are two related actions, looking and checking, together meaning to search.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
叟
叟sǒu搜sōu
Same sound today

The left 扌 is a hand. The right 叟 gives the sound and originally pictured a hand holding a torch indoors, related to searching.

Open 搜 →

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 & Police2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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