察看

• Pinyin: chá kàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 察 = 宀 (roof) + 祭 (phonetic); 看 = 手 (hand, shading eyes) + 目 (eye)

Meaning

To inspect; to observe carefully; to look over for assessment.

Implies a deliberate, close-range inspection of something — a site, a condition, a situation. Often used in official, military, or investigative contexts. Slightly more formal than 看看, emphasising purposeful observation rather than casual viewing.

Examples

1. 工程师定期前往施工现场察看进度，确保各项工程按计划推进。 Engineers regularly visit the construction site to inspect progress and ensure that all work is proceeding as planned.
2. 领导亲赴灾区察看灾情，并现场指挥安排救援工作。 The leader personally went to the disaster area to inspect the situation and directed rescue operations on the spot.
3. 他悄悄绕到房子背面，仔细察看了一番后才发现问题出在地基上。 He quietly went around to the back of the house, and after a careful look found that the problem was in the foundation.

Usage Guide

Context: inspection, government, engineering, investigation, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 技术人员每季度对设备进行一次全面察看，及时发现并排除安全隐患。(Technicians carry out a comprehensive inspection of the equipment every quarter to identify and eliminate safety hazards promptly.)
• 她察看了一圈展厅，对每件展品都仔细观摩了一番。(She walked around the exhibition hall, carefully studying each exhibit.)

Don't Say

• 我察看了一部好电影。(察看 means inspecting or closely observing something — not casually watching a film; use 看了 or 欣赏了)

Origin & History

察 (to examine closely) + 看 (to look, observe). To examine carefully by looking.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal