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清查 (qīng chá) — to thoroughly investigate and screen out (undesirable elements, problems, etc.)

Definition

清查 means a systematic, official sweep to uncover and weed out problems — not casual checking. Implies an authority (government, company) combing through records or people, stronger than 调查 and distinct from 审计, which is strictly accounting.

verb
to thoroughly investigate and screen out (undesirable elements, problems, etc.)

Examples

  • 清查。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài qīng chá fǔ bài fēn zǐ.
    The government is thoroughly investigating and rooting out corrupt elements.
  • 清查。
    Gōng sī měi nián dōu yào qīng chá yí cì zhàng mù.
    The company conducts a thorough audit of its accounts every year.
  • 清查。
    Xué xiào quán miàn qīng chá le ān quán yǐn huàn.
    The school thoroughly investigated and eliminated safety hazards.

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.

清qīngthoroughly
查cháinvestigate

清查 takes 清, meaning thoroughly, and 查, meaning investigate, to describe a thorough screening.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng清qīng
Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Open 清 →

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
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