检查

• Pinyin: jiǎn chá
• Hanzi breakdown: 检 (jiǎn) — to inspect, to examine; 查 (chá) — to check, to investigate

Meaning

To check; to inspect; to examine. The act of looking carefully to find problems or verify correctness.

Used broadly for checking homework (检查作业), medical exams (检查身体), security inspections, and quality control. Can function as both a verb and a noun.

Examples

1. 老师让我们检查一下作业。 The teacher asked us to check our homework.
2. 我去医院检查身体。 I went to the hospital for a physical checkup.
3. 出门前要检查门窗有没有关好。 Before leaving, check whether the doors and windows are closed.

Usage Guide

Context: school, health, everyday

Tone: careful, responsible

Do Say

• 请检查一下你的答案。(Please check your answers.)
• 医生建议我做一次检查。(The doctor suggested I get a checkup.)

Don't Say

• 不要把检查和考试混用 (Don't confuse 检查 with 考试 — 检查 means to inspect or examine, while 考试 means a test or exam)

Origin & History

Compound of 检 (to inspect, to examine) and 查 (to check, to investigate). Both characters reinforce the meaning of careful examination.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal