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查 [2025/08/13 21:36] – created xiaoer查 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== chá: 查 - To Check, To Investigate, To Look Up ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** 查, cha, check Chinese, investigate Chinese, look up Chinese, search Chinese, how to say check in Chinese, 查字典, 查一下, 检查, 调查, Chinese verbs. +
-  * **Summary:** Learn how to use the essential Chinese verb **查 (chá)**, which means to check, look up, or investigate. This page provides a comprehensive guide for beginners on how to use **查 (chá)** in everyday conversation, from a simple action like checking the weather to the more complex meaning of a police investigation. Discover its cultural context, practical examples, and common mistakes to avoid, helping you master this fundamental character. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** chá +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Verb +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 2 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** To seek information by checking, looking up, or investigating. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** **查 (chá)** is your go-to action verb whenever you need to find something out. Think of the action you perform when you use a search engine, flip through a dictionary for a word, check a train schedule, or when a detective begins to look into a case. **查 (chá)** is not passive looking; it's an active, goal-oriented search for specific information or the verification of a fact. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **查 (chá):** This character is a phono-semantic compound, meaning it combines a component for meaning and a component for sound. +
-    * **Top part `木` (mù):** This is the radical for "tree" or "wood". +
-    * **Bottom part `旦` (dàn):** This character means "dawn" or "day" (it looks like the sun `日` rising above the horizon `一`). +
-  * While the exact etymology is complex, a simple way for a learner to remember **查 (chá)** is to imagine an inspector or a scholar going out at **dawn (旦)** to **check on a tree (木)**, examining its health or looking for something specific. This image links the character's components to its core meaning of "to check" or "to examine". +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-  * **查 (chá)** is a highly practical verb and its significance is more functional than deeply philosophical. However, its frequent use reflects a culture where verification, thoroughness, and access to information are important. +
-  * In modern China, you constantly need to **查** things in official and bureaucratic contexts: **查** your social security number, **查** your health code status, **查** your bank account balance. This highlights the role of **查** as a gateway to navigating modern systems. +
-  * **Comparison to English:** In English, we have distinct words like "check," "look up," "investigate," and "search." The Chinese verb **查 (chá)** is broader and can cover all these meanings, with the specific nuance determined by the context. For example, "I'll check the time" and "The police will investigate the crime" can both use **查 (chá)**. It's like the difference between a quick "Google" and a formal "inquiry"—the context tells you the depth of the action. +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-  * **Everyday Life (Informal):** This is where you'll hear **查 (chá)** most often, especially paired with `一下 (yíxià)` to soften the tone and imply a quick action. +
-    * `我查一下天气。` (Wǒ chá yíxià tiānqì.) - "Let me just check the weather." +
-    * `你帮我查查地图。` (Nǐ bāng wǒ chácha dìtú.) - "Help me check the map." (The verb duplication `查查` also implies a quick, informal check). +
-  * **Technology and Internet:** **查 (chá)** is the default verb for using a search engine. `我查一下 (Wǒ chá yíxià)` is the direct equivalent of saying "Let me Google that." +
-  * **Formal & Official Contexts:** In more serious situations, **查 (chá)** stands alone or is part of a more formal compound word. +
-    * A doctor might say: `我们需要查一下你的血。` (Wǒmen xūyào chá yíxià nǐ de xuè.) - "We need to check your blood." +
-    * A police officer would say: `我们在查这个案子。` (Wǒmen zài chá zhège ànzi.) - "We are investigating this case." +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 如果你不认识这个字，可以**查**字典。 +
-    * Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bú rènshi zhège zì, kěyǐ **chá** zìdiǎn. +
-    * English: If you don't recognize this character, you can look it up in the dictionary. +
-    * Analysis: This is a classic textbook example showing the core meaning of "looking up" reference material. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 我上网**查**一下明天去上海的火车票。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ shàngwǎng **chá** yíxià míngtiān qù Shànghǎi de huǒchē piào. +
-    * English: I'll go online and check for train tickets to Shanghai for tomorrow. +
-    * Analysis: `查一下 (chá yíxià)` is extremely common in spoken Chinese to mean "have a quick look" or "check something quickly." +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 你出门前**查**天气预报了吗？ +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ chūmén qián **chá** tiānqì yùbào le ma? +
-    * English: Did you check the weather forecast before you left? +
-    * Analysis: A very common daily-life question. `查` is used here for accessing simple, everyday information. +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 警察正在**查**那家公司的背景。 +
-    * Pinyin: Jǐngchá zhèngzài **chá** nà jiā gōngsī de bèijǐng. +
-    * English: The police are investigating that company's background. +
-    * Analysis: Here, **查** takes on the more serious meaning of "to investigate." The context (police, background) makes the meaning clear. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 老师，我想**查**一下我的考试成绩。 +
-    * Pinyin: Lǎoshī, wǒ xiǎng **chá** yíxià wǒ de kǎoshì chéngjì. +
-    * English: Teacher, I'd like to check my exam score. +
-    * Analysis: This shows how **查** is used to retrieve personal data or results from a system. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * 请帮我**查**一下我的航班有没有晚点。 +
-    * Pinyin: Qǐng bāng wǒ **chá** yíxià wǒ de hángbān yǒu méiyǒu wǎndiǎn. +
-    * English: Please help me check if my flight is delayed. +
-    * Analysis: A practical sentence you could use at an airport information desk. +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 海关人员需要**查**你的行李。 +
-    * Pinyin: Hǎiguān rényuán xūyào **chá** nǐ de xínglǐ. +
-    * English: The customs officer needs to inspect your luggage. +
-    * Analysis: In this context, **查** means "to inspect" or "to search" for security or legal reasons. It's a non-negotiable command. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 我不确定这个消息是不是真的，我得**查**一**查**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ bú quèdìng zhège xiāoxi shì bu shì zhēn de, wǒ děi **chá** yi **chá**. +
-    * English: I'm not sure if this news is real, I have to check it out. +
-    * Analysis: The verb reduplication `查一查 (chá yi chá)` is a common colloquial alternative to `查一下`, meaning "to do a bit of checking." +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 银行给我发了短信，让我**查**一下账户。 +
-    * Pinyin: Yínháng gěi wǒ fā le duǎnxìn, ràng wǒ **chá** yíxià zhànghù. +
-    * English: The bank sent me a text message, asking me to check my account. +
-    * Analysis: This shows **查** being used in the context of finance and personal account management. +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * 请**查**收附件中的文件。 +
-    * Pinyin: Qǐng **chá**shōu fùjiàn zhōng de wénjiàn. +
-    * English: Please check and receive the file in the attachment. +
-    * Analysis: `查收 (cháshōu)` is a set phrase common in formal emails. It combines "to check" (`查`) and "to receive" (`收`), meaning "please confirm receipt." +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **`查` vs. `检查 (jiǎnchá)`:** This is the most common point of confusion. +
-    * **查 (chá):** Use this for **finding information**. You `查` a dictionary, `查` a fact, `查` a flight time. The goal is to obtain data. +
-    * **检查 (jiǎnchá):** Use this for **inspecting or examining for quality, correctness, or problems.** A teacher `检查` your homework (for errors). A doctor gives you a `检查` (a check-up for health issues). A mechanic `检查` your car (for faults). +
-    * //Incorrect:// 老师，请你**查**我的作业。(Lǎoshī, qǐng nǐ chá wǒ de zuòyè.) +
-    * //Correct:// 老师，请你**检查**我的作业。(Lǎoshī, qǐng nǐ jiǎnchá wǒ de zuòyè.) +
-  * **`查` vs. `看 (kàn)`:** Beginners often use `看 (kàn - to look/see)` when they should use `查`. +
-    * **看 (kàn):** Is for general, often passive, looking. You `看` TV, `看` a book (read), `看` the scenery. +
-    * **查 (chá):** Is for active, purposeful searching for information within something. +
-    * //Incorrect:// 我要**看**字典。(Wǒ yào kàn zìdiǎn.) - This sounds like you just want to stare at the dictionary as an object. +
-    * //Correct:// 我要**查**字典。(Wǒ yào chá zìdiǎn.) - "I need to look up (a word in) the dictionary." +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * `[[检查]]` (jiǎnchá) - To inspect, to examine. More focused on checking for problems or correctness than finding new information. +
-  * `[[调查]]` (diàochá) - To investigate, to survey. A more formal and in-depth version of `查`, often used for official investigations, police work, or academic surveys. +
-  * `[[查询]]` (cháxún) - To inquire, to query. A formal, often written or technical term for requesting information from a system (e.g., a database query). +
-  * `[[搜索]]` (sōusuǒ) - To search. The formal word for what a search engine does. In casual speech, `查` and `搜 (sōu)` are often used interchangeably for internet searches. +
-  * `[[找]]` (zhǎo) - To look for, to find. Use `找` for physical objects or people. You `找` your keys, `找` a friend in a crowd. You `查` information. +
-  * `[[查收]]` (cháshōu) - To check and receive. A set phrase used in formal correspondence, especially emails, to ask the recipient to confirm they have received something. +
-  * `[[字典]]` (zìdiǎn) - Dictionary. The classic tool that you use to `查` words.+