察 (chá): to observe
察 (chá) is a Chinese character meaning “to observe.” Classified as HSK Level 4 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 宀 (semantic) and 祭 (phonetic). It ranks #564 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 察 roof. Its radical form 宀 (roof) appears in many related characters such as 客 (kè, guest, customer), 家 (jiā, home, family), 它 (tā, it).
Definitions
- to observe
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
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Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 察
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 检察官 | jiǎn chá guān | public prosecutor |
| 警察局 | jǐng chá jú | police station |
| 察觉 | chá jué | to sense |
| 督察 | dū chá | to supervise |
| 侦察 | zhēn chá | to investigate a crime |
| 检察院 | jiǎn chá yuàn | prosecutor's office |
| 考察 | kǎo chá | to inspect |
| 觉察 | jué chá | to sense |
| 察看 | chá kàn | to watch |
| 洞察力 | dòng chá lì | insight |
| 监察 | jiān chá | to supervise |
| 视察 | shì chá | to inspect |
| 侦察兵 | zhēn chá bīng | a scout |
| 观察力 | guān chá lì | power of observation |
| 观察员 | guān chá yuán | observer |
察 appears in 100 compound words: 16 as the first character, 42 as the last, and 42 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 察 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (12)
Qapqal (an autonomous county of Ili prefecture, Xinjiang autonomous region, China)
to think one is discerning and shrewd for focusing on minutiae, but neglecting the bigger picture
to read a person (to interpret or infer a meaning or significance based on facial expression, tone of voice etc)
to observe publicly and investigate privately; to conduct a thorough investigation
Ulanqab (a prefecture-level city of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, China)
to think one is discerning and shrewd for focusing on minutiae, but neglecting the bigger picture
to read a person (to interpret or infer a meaning or significance based on facial expression, tone of voice etc)
Example Sentences
警察正在调查这起案件，希望能尽快找到线索。
Jǐngchá zhèngzài diàochá zhè qǐ ànjiàn, xīwàng néng jǐnkuài zhǎodào xiànsuǒ.
The police are investigating this case, hoping to find clues as soon as possible.
军营观察丨一名文职工程师的“匠人心语”
jūn yíng guàn chá 丨 yī míng wén zhí gōng chéng shī de jiàng rén xīn yǔ
Barracks Observation丨A civilian engineer's "craftsman's heart"
长假后“性病筛检增3成” 泌尿医曝观察:染淋病、披衣菌最常见
cháng jiǎ hòu xìng bìng shāi jiǎn zēng 3 chéng mì niào yī pù guàn chá : rǎn lín bìng , pī yī jūn zuì cháng jiàn
After the long holiday, "STD screening increased by 30%" Urologist exposure observation: gonorrhea and chlamydia are the most common
交通部长视察“春节疏运” 双铁携手疏运近900万人次
jiāo tōng bù cháng shì chá chūn jié shū yùn shuāng tiě xié shǒu shū yùn jìn 9 0 0 wàn rén cì
The Minister of Transportation inspected the "Spring Festival Transportation" and the two railways worked together to transport nearly 9 million people
记者观察:食品贴上警示标签 智利欲全民瘦身?
jì zhě guàn chá shí pǐn tiē shǎng jǐng shì biāo qiān zhì lì yù quán mín shòu shēn ?
Reporter's observation: food labeled with a warning that Chile wants to slim down the whole population?
列国鉴|记者观察:食品贴上警示标签 智利欲全民瘦身..
liè guó jiàn jì zhě guàn chá shí pǐn tiē shǎng jǐng shì biāo qiān zhì lì yù quán mín shòu shēn . .
China's foreign policy: Chile wants to reduce the number of people in the country...
警察找到指纹了吗？
Jǐngchá zhǎodào zhǐwén le ma?
Did the police find any fingerprints?
警察逮捕了汤姆吗？
Jǐngchá dàibǔ le Tāngmǔ ma?
Did the police arrest Tom?
他超速驾驶，被警察逮捕了。
Tā chāosù jiàshǐ, bèi jǐngchá dàibǔ le.
The policeman arrested him for speeding.
警察瞄准了那个男人。
Jǐngchá miáozhǔn le nàge nánrén.
The policeman aimed his gun at the man.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is 察 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
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