cháxún: 查询 - To Inquire, To Query, To Look Up

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• Summary: Learn how to use 查询 (cháxún), the essential Chinese verb for 'to inquire' or 'to look up' information. This page breaks down its meaning, from checking a bank balance to querying a database. Discover how cháxún is used in everyday life, technology, and business, and understand its nuances compared to similar words like `搜索 (sōusuǒ)` (to search online). With practical examples and cultural context, you'll master how to formally request and retrieve information in Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): cháxún
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To inquire about or look up specific information, typically from an official source or a structured system.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 查询 (cháxún) as the action of requesting specific data from a system. It's more formal than a casual question. You cháxún your flight status, your exam results, or a word in a dictionary. It implies there's a correct, definitive answer waiting to be retrieved from an organized place, like a database, a schedule, or a file.

• 查 (chá): This character means “to check,” “to investigate,” or “to look up.” It's composed of the radical `木` (mù - wood/tree) and a top component that originally meant “altar.” A simple way to remember it is as the act of checking something official or structured.
• 询 (xún): This character means “to inquire” or “to ask.” It's made of the “speech” radical `言` (yán) on the left and `旬` (xún - a ten-day period) on the right. This visually suggests using words (言) to make a formal or structured inquiry.
• Together: The characters combine to mean “to check and inquire.” This reinforces the idea of a formal, targeted action to retrieve specific, verifiable information.

While not a deep philosophical term, 查询 (cháxún) is culturally significant because it reflects the infrastructure of a modern, data-driven society. In China, where many services (banking, transport, government, healthcare) are centralized and digitized, the ability to 查询 is a fundamental skill for navigating daily life. Compared to the general English phrase “to look something up,” 查询 (cháxún) has a more formal and official feel. You would “look up” a fun fact online, but you would 查询 (cháxún) your social security information. This distinction highlights a cultural norm of interacting with systems and bureaucracies through specific, designated channels. The word embodies the values of efficiency and accuracy; when you 查询, you expect a precise, correct piece of data from an authoritative source. It's the key that unlocks the information held within the formal systems of society.

查询 (cháxún) is an extremely common verb used across various modern contexts.

• Technology and the Internet: This is where you'll hear it most. It's used for querying databases, checking the status of an online order on Taobao, looking up your payment history on WeChat or Alipay, or checking a train schedule on the 12306 app.
• Business and Administration: In an office setting, you might 查询 a client's file, check inventory levels in the company's system, or look up a specific regulation.
• Everyday Life: You 查询 your bank balance at an ATM, inquire about a flight's arrival time at the airport, look up exam scores online, or check the weather forecast on your phone.

The word carries a neutral-to-formal connotation. It's the standard, polite term for this action and is less common in very casual conversations unless you're specifically talking about performing one of the tasks above.

• Example 1:
  • 我想查询我的银行账户余额。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng cháxún wǒ de yínháng zhànghù yú'é.
  • English: I'd like to check my bank account balance.
  • Analysis: A standard, polite phrase to use when speaking with a bank teller or using an ATM. It's formal and clear.
• Example 2:
  • 你可以在航空公司的网站上查询航班信息。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kěyǐ zài hángkōng gōngsī de wǎngzhàn shàng cháxún hángbān xìnxī.
  • English: You can look up flight information on the airline's website.
  • Analysis: This shows 查询 being used for retrieving data (`信息 xìnxī`) from a digital system (a website).
• Example 3:
  • 请帮我查询一下这个包裹的物流状态。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng bāng wǒ cháxún yíxià zhège bāoguǒ de wùliú zhuàngtài.
  • English: Please help me check the logistics status of this package.
  • Analysis: An essential sentence for anyone who shops online in China. `物流 (wùliú)` means logistics/shipping.
• Example 4:
  • 学生们正在焦急地等待查询考试成绩。
  • Pinyin: Xuéshēngmen zhèngzài jiāojí de děngdài cháxún kǎoshì chéngjì.
  • English: The students are anxiously waiting to check their exam scores.
  • Analysis: Here, 查询 is a verb, but it's part of the action they are waiting for: “the action of checking.”
• Example 5:
  • 这个系统允许用户查询历史交易记录。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xìtǒng yǔnxǔ yònghù cháxún lìshǐ jiāoyì jìlù.
  • English: This system allows users to query historical transaction records.
  • Analysis: A common phrase in technical manuals or software descriptions.
• Example 6:
  • 我需要查询一下这个词在字典里的意思。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào cháxún yíxià zhège cí zài zìdiǎn lǐ de yìsi.
  • English: I need to look up the meaning of this word in the dictionary.
  • Analysis: A classic example. A dictionary is a structured system of information, making 查询 the perfect verb.
• Example 7:
  • 程序员每天都要向数据库发送查询请求。
  • Pinyin: Chéngxùyuán měitiān dōu yào xiàng shùjùkù fāsòng cháxún qǐngqiú.
  • English: Programmers have to send query requests to the database every day.
  • Analysis: In this technical context, 查询 can also act as a noun (“a query”). `查询请求` means “query request.”
• Example 8:
  • 出门前，最好先查询一下天气预报。
  • Pinyin: Chūmén qián, zuìhǎo xiān cháxún yíxià tiānqì yùbào.
  • English: Before going out, it's best to first check the weather forecast.
  • Analysis: A very practical, everyday use of the word.
• Example 9:
  • 如果您对政策有疑问，可以向有关部门查询。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nín duì zhèngcè yǒu yíwèn, kěyǐ xiàng yǒuguān bùmén cháxún.
  • English: If you have questions about the policy, you can inquire with the relevant department.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the formal use of 查询 when interacting with bureaucracy or official bodies.
• Example 10:
  • 我去图书馆查询了一些关于明朝的资料。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ qù túshūguǎn cháxún le yìxiē guānyú Míng cháo de zīliào.
  • English: I went to the library to look up some materials about the Ming Dynasty.
  • Analysis: Shows its use in academic or research contexts. `资料 (zīliào)` (materials/data) is a very common object for 查询.

The biggest challenge for learners is distinguishing 查询 (cháxún) from similar verbs.

• 查询 (cháxún) vs. 搜索 (sōusuǒ)
  • 查询 (cháxún): Use this for getting a specific piece of data from a structured system (database, schedule, dictionary). The answer is usually a single, precise fact.
  • 搜索 (sōusuǒ): Use this for “searching” a vast, unorganized space, like the internet. You use Baidu or Google to `搜索`. The result is a list of potentially relevant websites or documents.
  • Incorrect: ~~我查询可爱的猫的照片。~~ (Wǒ cháxún kě'ài de māo de zhàopiàn.)
  • Correct: 我搜索可爱的猫的照片。(Wǒ sōusuǒ kě'ài de māo de zhàopiàn.)
• 查询 (cháxún) vs. 问 (wèn)
  • 查询 (cháxún): For getting info from a system, not a person.
  • 问 (wèn): The general word for “to ask” a person.
  • Incorrect: ~~我查询他什么时候来。~~ (Wǒ cháxún tā shénme shíhou lái.)
  • Correct: 我问他什么时候来。(Wǒ wèn tā shénme shíhou lái.)
• 查询 (cháxún) vs. 调查 (diàochá)
  • 调查 (diàochá): Means “to investigate” or “to survey.” It implies a deep, complex process (e.g., a police investigation, market research).
  • 查询 (cháxún): Is a simple, quick act of retrieving a known piece of information.
  • Incorrect: ~~警察正在查询这个案件。~~ (Jǐngchá zhèngzài cháxún zhège ànjiàn.)
  • Correct: 警察正在调查这个案件。(Jǐngchá zhèngzài diàochá zhège ànjiàn.)

• 搜索 (sōusuǒ) - To search (especially online). Broader and less specific than `查询`.
• 调查 (diàochá) - To investigate, to survey. A more in-depth and prolonged action than `查询`.
• 问 (wèn) - To ask. The general, all-purpose verb for asking a person.
• 信息 (xìnxī) - Information. This is the “stuff” you get when you `查询`.
• 数据 (shùjù) - Data. More technical than `信息`, this is what you `查询` from a database.
• 资料 (zīliào) - Materials, data, documents. A common object of `查询`, especially for research.
• 确认 (quèrèn) - To confirm. An action you might take after you `查询` information to make sure it's correct.
• 核对 (héduì) - To check against, to verify. Similar to `确认`, but implies comparing two or more pieces of information.