查明

• Pinyin: chá míng
• Hanzi breakdown: 查 = 木 (wood) + 旦 (phonetic); 明 = 日 (sun) + 月 (moon) — two light sources meaning 'bright/clear'

Meaning

To ascertain; to find out through investigation; to establish the facts of something.

Emphasises the outcome of an investigation — that the truth has been definitively established. Used in legal, official, and journalistic contexts. Common structures: 查明原因 (establish the cause), 查明真相 (ascertain the truth), 查明身份 (verify identity).

Examples

1. 事故调查组经过详细勘查，已查明此次火灾系电气线路短路所致。 After a detailed survey, the accident investigation team has ascertained that this fire was caused by a short circuit in the electrical wiring.
2. 警方在24小时内查明了失踪人员的下落，将其安全带回。 Police established the whereabouts of the missing person within 24 hours and brought them back safely.
3. 在查明所有事实之前，相关部门不会贸然发表官方结论。 Before all the facts are established, the relevant authorities will not rashly issue an official conclusion.

Usage Guide

Context: law, investigation, journalism, government, safety

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 目前尚未查明事故的直接原因，调查工作仍在进行中。(The direct cause of the accident has not yet been ascertained — the investigation is still ongoing.)
• 纪委经过深入调查，已查明该官员违规动用公款的具体情形。(After an in-depth investigation, the discipline commission has established the specific circumstances in which the official unlawfully used public funds.)

Don't Say

• 我查明了今天的天气。(查明 implies investigative effort to establish a disputed or unclear fact; for checking weather use 查了 or 看了)

Origin & History

查 (to investigate) + 明 (clear, to clarify). To investigate until something becomes clear/established.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal