chá
verb #11,727

Meanings

  1. 1 to examine; to observe
  2. 2 to inspect; to look into

Examples

Jǐngchá lái le.
The police are here.
Tā guānchá de hěn zǐxì.
He observed very carefully.

Tips

usage
is mainly used in compounds: 警察 (police), 观察 (to observe), 察觉 (to detect), 考察 (to investigate), 察看 (to inspect).

Components

radical
mián
roof
Top roof radical — pictograph of a peaked covering with two side walls. As the indexing radical it places with house-and-shelter chars: home, room, peace. Original pictured a sacrificial rite under a temple roof: examining the offering carefully — the source of 'inspect, observe.'
semantic
to offer sacrifice
Bottom — a hand holding meat ⺼ over an altar , picturing a ritual offering. Under the temple roof above, the whole character shows a priest examining the meat to ensure it is fit for the gods — the source of the 'examine, inspect carefully' senses of .

Stroke Order

chá