cháshōu: 查收 - To Check and Receive

• Keywords: chashou, 查收, 查收 meaning, how to use chashou, Chinese for please find attached, formal Chinese email, receive in Chinese, check and receive, business Chinese, shoudao vs chashou
• Summary: Learn how to use “查收” (cháshōu), a key term in modern Chinese communication. This formal verb means “to check and receive” and is the standard, polite way to ask someone to verify receipt of a file, attachment, or package you've sent. Essential for writing professional emails or messages in Chinese, it's the direct equivalent of “Please find attached” or “Please confirm receipt.”

• Pinyin (with tone marks): cháshōu
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: N/A (but essential for Business Chinese)
• Concise Definition: To check (something) that has been received.
• In a Nutshell: Think of `查收` as a polite, professional command used by a sender to a recipient. It efficiently combines two actions: “to check” (查) and “to receive” (收). When you write `请查收` (qǐng cháshōu) in an email, you're not just saying “I sent it”; you're politely prompting the other person to look for the item, open it, and confirm it's the correct thing. It's a standard and respectful way to close the loop on a transfer of information or goods.

• 查 (chá): This character means “to check,” “to examine,” or “to investigate.” Imagine using a magnifying glass to inspect something carefully.
• 收 (shōu): This character means “to receive,” “to accept,” or “to collect.” Picture yourself using your hands to gather or accept something being given to you.

When combined, `查收 (cháshōu)` creates a precise action: you are asking the recipient to perform an inspection (查) on something they are about to receive (收). It's more active than just “receiving”; it implies a need for verification.

While not a term with deep philosophical roots, `查收` is highly significant in the context of modern Chinese professional etiquette. It reflects a cultural preference for clarity, efficiency, and defined responsibility in communication. In Western business culture, one might use a variety of phrases like “I've attached the file,” “Please find the report attached,” “Let me know you got this,” or the very formal “For your review and consideration.” `查收` consolidates all these intentions into one standard, universally understood term. Using it shows you are familiar with professional norms and are being clear and respectful of the recipient's time. It subtly shifts the responsibility of the next action to the recipient, ensuring that the information transfer is complete. It’s less a reflection of collectivism and more a product of a modern, fast-paced work environment that values precision.

`查收` is almost exclusively used in written communication and is considered polite and formal.

• Business Emails: This is the most common use case. It's standard practice to end a sentence with `请查收` after mentioning an attachment.
• Workplace Messaging (WeChat & DingTalk): When sending a work file to a colleague or client via a messaging app, it's common to send the file, followed by a short message like `文件已发，请查收` (The file has been sent, please check it).
• E-commerce and Logistics: Automated messages from companies like Taobao or SF Express might inform you that a package has been delivered to your door or a pickup locker and that you should `查收`.

Its connotation is neutral to positive, as it's a standard polite formula. You would not use it in a casual chat with a close friend about sending a funny picture; for that, `发给你了` (fā gěi nǐ le - “sent it to you”) is more appropriate.

• Example 1:
  • 会议纪要已发送至您的邮箱，请查收。
  • Pinyin: Huìyì jìyào yǐ fāsòng zhì nín de yóuxiāng, qǐng cháshōu.
  • English: The meeting minutes have been sent to your email; please check and receive them.
  • Analysis: A classic, formal example used in a business email. `请` (qǐng) makes the request polite.
• Example 2:
  • 您好，附件是我的简历，请查收。
  • Pinyin: Nín hǎo, fùjiàn shì wǒ de jiǎnlì, qǐng cháshōu.
  • English: Hello, the attachment is my resume. Please check and receive it.
  • Analysis: This is a standard sentence for a job applicant sending their resume. It's respectful and professional.
• Example 3:
  • 这是我们项目的最终报告，请查收并提出您的宝贵意见。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒmen xiàngmù de zuìzhōng bàogào, qǐng cháshōu bìng tíchū nín de bǎoguì yìjiàn.
  • English: This is our project's final report. Please check and receive it, and offer your valuable suggestions.
  • Analysis: Here, `查收` is combined with another request, showing it's the first step in a sequence of actions required from the recipient.
• Example 4:
  • 刚用微信发你文件了，你查收一下。
  • Pinyin: Gāng yòng Wēixìn fā nǐ wénjiàn le, nǐ cháshōu yīxià.
  • English: I just sent you the file on WeChat, please check it.
  • Analysis: A slightly less formal version used in workplace messaging. The addition of `一下` (yīxià) softens the tone, making it feel more like a quick, casual request between colleagues.
• Example 5:
  • 您的快递已放在门口，请及时查收。
  • Pinyin: Nín de kuàidì yǐ fàng zài ménkǒu, qǐng jíshí cháshōu.
  • English: Your package has been placed at the door, please check and receive it promptly.
  • Analysis: Used in logistics and delivery notifications. `及时` (jíshí - “promptly”) adds a sense of urgency.
• Example 6:
  • 上周发给您的合同，请问您查收了吗？
  • Pinyin: Shàng zhōu fā gěi nín de hétong, qǐngwèn nín cháshōu le ma?
  • English: Regarding the contract I sent you last week, may I ask if you have checked and received it?
  • Analysis: A polite follow-up question. This is how the sender can inquire if the action of `查收` has been completed.
• Example 7:
  • 照片都打包发你了，快去查收！
  • Pinyin: Zhàopiàn dōu dǎbāo fā nǐ le, kuài qù cháshōu!
  • English: I've zipped up all the photos and sent them to you. Go check them out!
  • Analysis: A more informal and enthusiastic usage between friends, but still concerning a file transfer. `快去` (kuài qù - “hurry and go”) adds excitement.
• Example 8:
  • 请将此邮件转发给财务部，并请他们查收附件。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng jiāng cǐ yóujiàn zhuǎnfā gěi cáiwùbù, bìng qǐng tāmen cháshōu fùjiàn.
  • English: Please forward this email to the finance department and ask them to check and receive the attachment.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how to delegate the task of `查收` to a third party.
• Example 9:
  • 如果您没有看到邮件，请检查一下垃圾邮件文件夹，然后再查收。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nín méiyǒu kàndào yóujiàn, qǐng jiǎnchá yīxià lājī yóujiàn wénjiànjiā, ránhòu zài cháshōu.
  • English: If you haven't seen the email, please check your spam folder, and then check for receipt.
  • Analysis: This shows `查收` in a problem-solving context, guiding the recipient on how to successfully find the item.
• Example 10:
  • 所有必需的表格都在压缩包里，查收后请签字并寄回。
  • Pinyin: Suǒyǒu bìxū de biǎogé dōu zài yāsuōbāo lǐ, cháshōu hòu qǐng qiānzì bìng jì huí.
  • English: All the necessary forms are in the zip file. After you check and receive it, please sign and mail it back.
  • Analysis: The phrase `查收后` (cháshōu hòu) means “after checking and receiving,” clearly establishing it as the first step in a multi-step process.

• Sender vs. Recipient: This is the biggest pitfall. `查收` is a command/request from the sender to the recipient. A recipient confirming they got the file should not say “我查收了” (wǒ cháshōu le). While grammatically valid, it sounds unnatural and a bit stiff. The correct and natural response is `收到了，谢谢！` (Shōudào le, xièxie! - “Received, thank you!”).
• Tangible/Digital Items Only: You can `查收` an email, an attachment, a file, a package, or a letter. You cannot `查收` an idea, a piece of advice, or a feeling. It must be a transferable item.
• Formality Level: Avoid using `查收` in very casual contexts. If you text a meme to your best friend, saying `请查收` would be humorously formal. Just say `发你了` (fā nǐ le - “sent it to you”) or `看我发的` (kàn wǒ fā de - “look at what I sent”).

• 收到 (shōudào) - “To have received.” This is the proper response from the recipient. It's the other side of the `查收` coin.
• 附件 (fùjiàn) - “Attachment.” The noun that is very frequently the object of the verb `查收`.
• 确认 (quèrèn) - “To confirm.” Often used together with `查收`, as in `请查收并确认` (qǐng cháshōu bìng quèrèn), asking the recipient to both receive the item and confirm its contents.
• 签收 (qiānshōu) - “To sign for (a delivery).” More specific than `查收`. This is used for packages or registered mail that requires a signature to confirm receipt.
• 请阅 (qǐng yuè) - “Please read.” A very formal, slightly old-fashioned term used for documents. It focuses on the act of reading, whereas `查收` focuses on the act of receiving and verifying.
• 发送 (fāsòng) - “To send; to dispatch.” The action the sender takes *before* asking the recipient to `查收`.
• 查阅 (cháyuè) - “To look up and read; to consult.” Similar to `请阅`, this is used when asking someone to consult a document or file for information. It's about information retrieval, not just receipt.