Meaning of 追究
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to investigate
- to look into
How to use 追究
追究 is often used for looking into who is to blame, especially in formal or legal contexts, as in 追究责任 (zhuījiū zérèn, to hold someone accountable). Example: 这件事我们不再追究了。(Zhè jiàn shì wǒmen bú zài zhuījiū le.) We will not pursue this matter any further.
追 (zhuī) means to chase, and 究 (jiū) means to get to the bottom of something, as in 研究 (yánjiū). So 追究 is chasing a matter all the way down until you find the cause or the person responsible.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 追究 (zhuījiū) with 追求 (zhuīqiú). 追求 means to pursue a goal you want, while 追究 means to dig into a problem or blame, so 追究幸福 is wrong and should be 追求幸福.
追究 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.
追 zhuī · to chase · 9 strokes
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- 9
究 jiū · to dig into · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 追究.
| 研究 | yánjiū | research; a study |
| 究竟 | jiūjìng | to go to the bottom of a matter; after all |
| 追求 | zhuīqiú | to pursue (a goal etc) stubbornly; to seek after |
| 讲究 | jiǎngjiu | to pay particular attention to; carefully selected for quality |
| 研究生 | yánjiūshēng | graduate student; postgraduate student |
| 研究所 | yánjiūsuǒ | research institute; graduate studies |
| 追踪 | zhuīzōng | to track; to trace; to follow up; (HK, Tw) to follow (on social media) |
| 追逐 | zhuīzhú | to chase; to pursue vigorously |
| 追随 | zhuīsuí | to follow; to accompany |
| 追赶 | zhuīgǎn | to pursue; to chase after |
| 终究 | zhōngjiū | in the end; after all; eventually |
| 追问 | zhuīwèn | to question closely; to investigate in detail |
Questions about 追究
What does 追究 mean?
追究 (zhuījiū) means "to investigate; to look into" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 追究?
追究 is made of 2 characters: 追 (9 strokes), 究 (7 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 追究 an HSK word?
Yes. 追究 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 追究 negative in tone?
Usually yes. It tends to involve mistakes, accidents, or wrongdoing, and often implies someone may be punished or held responsible. For neutral study or research, use 研究 (yánjiū) instead.
What is the difference between 追究 and 调查 (diàochá)?
调查 means to investigate by collecting facts, and it is neutral. 追究 focuses on pursuing the cause or responsibility to the end, so you often see 追究责任 or 追究原因 rather than a general survey.