监察

• Pinyin: jiān chá
• Hanzi breakdown: 监 = 臣 + 皿 (an official eye watching over a vessel — oversight from above); 察 = 宀 + 祭 (under a roof, performing a careful ritual examination)

Meaning

To supervise and investigate; to exercise oversight and inspection, especially of government officials or public institutions.

A formal legal and administrative term referring to institutional oversight and anti-corruption supervision. In China, 监察 is closely associated with the National Supervisory Commission, which oversees public servants and party members. Broader and more powerful in scope than 监督 (general supervision) or 监控 (technical monitoring).

Examples

1. 国家监察委员会对政府官员的行为进行独立监察。 The National Supervisory Commission independently oversees the conduct of government officials.
2. 监察部门发现了该项目存在严重的违规操作。 The oversight agency found serious illegal practices in the project.
3. 完善监察机制是防范腐败的重要制度保障。 Improving oversight mechanisms is an important institutional safeguard against corruption.

Usage Guide

Context: government, law, anti-corruption, public administration, institutional oversight

Tone: official

Do Say

• 建立独立权威的监察体系，是防止权力滥用、保障公民权益的关键制度。(Building an independent, authoritative oversight system is a key measure for preventing abuse of power and protecting citizens' rights.)
• 省纪检监察机关专项监察后，查处了十余名违规发包、虚报工程量的责任人。(After a special inspection by the provincial discipline inspection and supervision authorities, more than ten people responsible for illegal contracting and falsifying project quantities were investigated and punished.)

Don't Say

• 监察 is a formal, institutional term — do not use it in casual speech or for informal monitoring. Unlike 监控 (technical surveillance), 监察 implies institutional authority and legal investigation. Do not confuse with 监督 (general oversight/supervision), which lacks the investigative power of 监察.

Origin & History

监 (to supervise; to inspect — 臣 official + 皿 vessel, overseeing from above) + 察 (to investigate carefully — 宀 roof + 祭 ritual — careful examination beneath a roof)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal