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搜查证 (sōu chá zhèng) — search warrant

Definition

noun
search warrant
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 搜查证。
    Jǐng chá chū shì le sōu chá zhèng.
    The police showed the search warrant.
  • 搜查证。
    Méi yǒu sōu chá zhèng bù néng jìn rù.
    Without a search warrant, you cannot enter.
  • 搜查证。
    Fǎ yuàn pī zhǔn le sōu chá zhèng de shēn qǐng.
    The court approved the application for a search warrant.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

搜查search and investigate
搜sōusearch查cháinvestigate
联合Coordinate
证zhèngcertificate

搜 searches and 查 investigates; 证 is the paper for doing both.

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 →

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 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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