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搜索 (sōu suǒ) — to search (a place, database, the internet, etc.); to search for

Definition

搜索 (sōusuǒ) is the standard general-purpose verb 'to search' — used for online searches, looking up information, or searching a place. Colloquially, speakers often shorten it to 搜; 搜查 is reserved for police/official searches.

verb
to search (a place, database, the internet, etc.)to search for

Examples

  • 搜索。
    Qǐng yòng zhè ge ruǎn jiàn sōu suǒ yí xià xiāng guān de tú piàn.
    Please use this software to search for related images.
  • 搜索。
    Tā zài wǎng shàng sōu suǒ nà ge dì zhǐ.
    He searched for that address online.
  • 搜索。
    Jǐng fāng hái zài sōu suǒ táo pǎo de xián yí rén.
    The police are still searching for the escaped suspect.

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
索suǒseek

搜 and 索 both mean to seek, giving searching.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 糸糸mìthread
  • 𣎳𣎳𣎳strip fibres off a hemp stalk

索 combines 糸 (thread) and 𣎳 (stripping fibres from a hemp stalk), showing threads or rope being pulled out from a fabric.

Open 索 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 6Computers & InternetThinking & Cognition3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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