查 meaning and stroke order
To research; to check; to investigate
How to write 查, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
Meaning of 查
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to research
- to check
- to investigate
- to examine
- to refer to
- to look up (e.g. a word in a dictionary)
- variant of 楂[zha1]
How 查 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 查
查 is 木 (tree) on top of 旦 (dawn, the sun rising over the horizon). Picture checking the woods at sunrise, when there is finally enough light to look into everything.
查 means to check, look up, or investigate, and it appears in many everyday words like 检查 (jiǎnchá) and 调查 (diàochá). On its own it is very common for looking things up. Example: 我去查一下字典。(Wǒ qù chá yīxià zìdiǎn.) I'll go look it up in the dictionary.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 查 with 杳 (yǎo), which has 日 under 木 instead of 旦. 查 has the extra horizontal line at the bottom. Also keep the tone rising: chá, not chà.
Common words with 查
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 检查 | jiǎnchá | inspection; to examine | HSK 2 |
| 调查 | diàochá | investigation; inquiry | HSK 3 |
| 查询 | cháxún | to check; to inquire | HSK 5 |
| 查看 | chákàn | to look over; to examine | HSK 6 |
| 查出 | cháchū | to find out; to discover | HSK 6 |
| 审查 | shěnchá | to examine; to investigate | HSK 6 |
| 搜查 | sōuchá | to search | HSK 7-9 |
| 查明 | chámíng | to investigate and find out; to ascertain | HSK 7-9 |
| 查找 | cházhǎo | to search for; to look up | HSK 7-9 |
| 复查 | fùchá | to check again; to re-examine | HSK 7-9 |
| 查处 | cháchǔ | to investigate and handle (a criminal case) | HSK 7-9 |
| 追查 | zhuīchá | to try to find out; to trace; to track down | |
| 调查员 | diàocháyuán | investigator | |
| 侦查 | zhēnchá | to detect; to investigate |
查 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 查
Learning 查 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 查
How many strokes are in 查?
查 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 查 mean?
查 (chá) means to research; to check; to investigate. A common word with it is 检查 (jiǎnchá), meaning "inspection; to examine".
How do you pronounce 查?
查 is pronounced chá, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 查?
The radical of 查 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 查 under this radical.
Is 查 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 查 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 查 and 检查?
查 alone is short and casual, used for looking things up or checking quickly, like 查地图 (chá dìtú), check a map. 检查 (jiǎnchá) is more formal and means a careful inspection, like a medical checkup or checking homework.
Is 查 ever pronounced zhā?
Yes. As zhā it is a variant of 楂, as in 山查 for hawthorn. It is also read zhā as a surname. In most words you meet, though, it is chá.