查抄 (chá chāo) — to raid and confiscate (illegal property or assets)

Definition

An official verb meaning 'to raid and confiscate', used when authorities (police, courts) search a property and seize illegal goods or assets. It is a formal, legal term — not for everyday taking of property.

verb
to raid and confiscate (illegal property or assets)

Examples

  • 查抄。
    Jǐng fāng chá chāo le zhè ge fàn zuì tuán huǒ de quán bù cái chǎn.
    The police raided and confiscated all the property of this criminal gang.
  • 查抄。
    Fǎ yuàn yī fǎ xià lìng chá chāo qí fēi fǎ suǒ dé.
    The court ordered the seizure of his illegal gains according to law.
  • 查抄。
    Tān guān de jiā bèi chá chāo le dà liàng zāng wù.
    A large amount of stolen goods was confiscated from the corrupt official's home.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

查cháinspect
抄chāoconfiscate

查 means inspect and 抄 means seize, together describing a raid that checks and confiscates.

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
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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
少
少shǎo抄chāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

抄 combines 扌 (hand) with 少, which supplies the sound.

Open 抄 →

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