Meaning of 考察
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to inspect
- to observe and study
- on-the-spot investigation
How to use 考察
考察 is a fairly formal word for an official or study visit where people go in person to see and learn, often used for delegations, researchers, or business trips. It works as a verb or a noun. Example: 他们去上海考察市场。(Tāmen qù Shànghǎi kǎochá shìchǎng.) They went to Shanghai to study the market on site.
考 (kǎo) means to test or check, as in 考试 (kǎoshì), and 察 (chá) means to look closely, as in 观察 (guānchá). When you go somewhere to test and closely look at how things work, you are doing 考察.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 考察 (kǎochá) with 观察 (guānchá). 观察 is simply watching or observing something, while 考察 means going to a place to investigate it, so you 观察 a bird but 考察 a factory. Also keep the third tone on 考 and the second tone on 察.
考察 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
考 kǎo · to check · 6 strokes
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察 chá · to examine · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 考察.
| 考试 | kǎoshì | to take an exam; exam |
| 考生 | kǎoshēng | exam candidate; student whose name has been put forward for an exam |
| 警察 | jǐngchá | police; police officer |
| 观察 | guānchá | to observe; to watch; to survey |
| 考验 | kǎoyàn | to test; to put to the test |
| 考虑 | kǎolǜ | to think over; to consider |
| 思考 | sīkǎo | to reflect on; to ponder over |
| 参考 | cānkǎo | consultation; reference |
| 考核 | kǎohé | to examine; to check up on |
| 高考 | gāokǎo | college entrance exam (especially as abbr. for 普通高等學校招生全國統一考試|普通高等学校招生全国统一考试[Pu3 tong1 Gao |
| 报考 | bàokǎo | to enter oneself for an examination |
| 补考 | bǔkǎo | to sit for a makeup exam; to resit an exam |
Questions about 考察
What does 考察 mean?
考察 (kǎochá) means "to inspect; to observe and study" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 考察?
考察 is made of 2 characters: 考 (6 strokes), 察 (14 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 考察 an HSK word?
Yes. 考察 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 考察 and 检查?
检查 (jiǎnchá) means to check or inspect for problems, like checking homework or a medical checkup. 考察 is broader. It means visiting to learn about and evaluate something, not just to find errors.
Can 考察 be used for evaluating a person?
Yes. In workplace or official contexts, 考察 can mean observing and assessing someone over time, for example before a promotion: 公司正在考察他。(Gōngsī zhèngzài kǎochá tā.) The company is evaluating him.