核对

• Pinyin: hé duì
• Hanzi breakdown: 核 = 木 + 亥 (to verify/examine at the core); 对 = 又 + 寸 (to respond/match/correct)

Meaning

To verify; to check; to cross-check. To compare information against a reference to confirm accuracy, consistency, or completeness.

A standard operational term in administrative, financial, legal, and logistical contexts. Implies a systematic, careful comparison process. Commonly used in phrases such as 核对账目 (verify accounts), 核对身份 (verify identity), and 核对数据 (cross-check data). More thorough and formal than 检查 (check) — 核对 implies comparing against a source of truth.

Examples

1. 财务人员每月末都要仔细核对账目，确保每一笔收支都有据可查、分毫不差。 At the end of every month, finance staff carefully reconcile the accounts to ensure every income and expense item is documented and the numbers match exactly.
2. 请在提交申请之前认真核对表格上填写的所有个人信息，以免因疏漏造成不必要的麻烦。 Before submitting your application, please carefully double-check all the personal information on the form to avoid unnecessary trouble caused by an oversight.
3. 两位审计员相互核对数据来源，确认报告中引用的数字均来自官方统计渠道。 The two auditors cross-checked their data sources and confirmed that the figures cited in the report all came from official statistical channels.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, administration, logistics, legal, data management

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 合同正式签署前，双方律师须逐条核对合同条款，确认无误后方可盖章生效。(Before the contract is formally signed, lawyers for both parties must verify each clause item by item and confirm there are no discrepancies before stamping it into effect.)
• 入库时仓管员需核对货物的品名、数量及规格，与采购订单完全一致后方可入库。(When receiving goods, the warehouse keeper must verify the product name, quantity, and specifications against the purchase order before accepting them into storage.)

Don't Say

• 核对 to simply mean 'look at' or 'review' — use 查看 or 审阅 for general review; 核对 implies a specific cross-checking process against a reference source

Origin & History

核 (to examine; audit; verify at the core) + 对 (correct; to match; to check against)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal