查 (chá) — to look up (a word, information in a reference); to check, examine, investigate
Definition
Use 查 for looking something up (a word, fact) or checking/examining whether something is correct. 查找 is the same idea but adds a 'search for' feel; 搜 is more like googling. 研究 is deeper study, not a quick lookup.
verb
to look up (a word, information in a reference)to checkexamineinvestigate
Easily confused
Examples
- 查。Wǒ chá yí xià shēng cí.I'll look up the new words.
- 查。Qǐng chá yí xià yǒu méi yǒu cuò.Please check if there are mistakes.
- 查。Lǎo shī chá yí xià shuí de zuò yè méi jiāo.The teacher is checking who didn't hand in homework.
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.
查 pairs 木 (wood) with 且, which shows the sound. It originally meant a hawthorn tree or a wooden raft.
Appears in
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