Meaning of 调查
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- investigation
- inquiry
- to investigate
- to survey
- survey
- (opinion) poll
Measure word: 項|项,個|个
How to use 调查
调查 works as a verb (to investigate, to survey) and as a noun (an investigation, a survey or poll). It is common in news, police work, and market research. Example: 警察正在调查这件事。(Jǐngchá zhèngzài diàochá zhè jiàn shì.) The police are investigating this matter.
调 (diào) has the speech radical 讠, so picture someone asking questions, and 查 (chá) means to check or look into. Asking questions and checking facts together gives you 调查, to investigate.
Common mistake: The character 调 has two readings. In 调查 it is diào (fourth tone), but in 空调 (kōngtiáo) and 调整 (tiáozhěng) it is tiáo, so learners often say tiáochá by mistake. Also, 查 is chá (second tone), not zhā.
调查 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.
调 diào · to transfer · 10 strokes
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查 chá · to research · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 调查.
| 检查 | jiǎnchá | inspection; to examine |
| 调整 | tiáozhěng | to adjust; to revise; to reorganize |
| 强调 | qiángdiào | to emphasize (a statement); to stress |
| 空调 | kōngtiáo | air conditioning; air conditioner (including units that have a heating mode) |
| 调皮 | tiáopí | naughty; mischievous |
| 单调 | dāndiào | monotonous |
| 调动 | diàodòng | to transfer; to maneuver (troops etc) |
| 调节 | tiáojié | to adjust; to regulate |
| 查询 | cháxún | to check; to inquire |
| 调解 | tiáojiě | to mediate; to bring parties to an agreement |
| 查看 | chákàn | to look over; to examine |
| 查出 | cháchū | to find out; to discover |
Questions about 调查
What does 调查 mean?
调查 (diàochá) means "investigation; inquiry" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 调查?
调查 is made of 2 characters: 调 (10 strokes), 查 (9 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 调查 an HSK word?
Yes. 调查 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 调查 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 调查 is written 調查.
What is the difference between 调查 and 检查?
调查 (diàochá) means finding out facts about something unknown, like a case or people's opinions. 检查 (jiǎnchá) means inspecting or checking something against a standard, like checking homework or having a medical exam.
How do I say 'do a survey' in Chinese?
You can say 做调查 (zuò diàochá) or 做一个问卷调查 (zuò yí gè wènjuàn diàochá) for a questionnaire survey. For an opinion poll, people often say 民意调查 (mínyì diàochá).