搜查

• Pinyin: sōu chá
• Hanzi breakdown: 搜 = 扌(hand radical) + 叟 (to search carefully); 查 = 木 + 旦 (to examine, inspect)

Meaning

To conduct an official search of a place or person; to search and inspect. Typically performed by law enforcement or other authorised authorities looking for evidence, contraband, or suspects.

A formal legal term used in law enforcement, military, and judicial contexts. Distinct from casual searching by its coercive and authoritative character. Commonly collocates with 警察、搜查令、办公场所. Appears frequently in legal documents, news reports, and crime fiction. Requires official sanction in most contexts.

Examples

1. 警方持令对仓库展开全面搜查，最终在角落的夹层中发现了大批走私物品，随即对相关人员实施了拘留。 With a warrant, police carried out a thorough search of the warehouse and ultimately found a large cache of smuggled goods hidden in a compartment in the corner, then detained the people involved.
2. 检察官申请了搜查令，要求对涉案公司的办公场所及所有电子设备进行系统性搜查，以获取关键证据。 The prosecutor obtained a search warrant and demanded a systematic search of the company’s offices and all electronic devices to secure key evidence.
3. 边境人员在例行搜查中发现该旅客随身携带的行李夹层内藏有大量未申报的现金，随即依规上报处置。 During a routine inspection, border officers found a large amount of undeclared cash concealed in a hidden layer of the traveler’s luggage and reported it for handling according to regulations.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, law enforcement, journalism

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 法院签发搜查令后，警方依法对该嫌疑人的住所及名下车辆展开了为期两天的全面搜查，并封存了多件与案件相关的物品。(After the court issued a search warrant, police legally conducted a two-day comprehensive search of the suspect's residence and vehicles, sealing multiple items relevant to the case.)
• 海关人员依法有权对入境旅客的全部行李实施例行搜查，以防止违禁品和管制物品被携带入境。(Customs officers are legally authorised to conduct routine searches of all baggage belonging to arriving travellers to prevent prohibited and controlled items from entering the country.)

Don't Say

• 不要用 搜查 描述普通的寻找行为 — 不说'我在家里搜查我的钥匙'；日常寻找用 找 或 寻找，搜查 专指有官方权力的正式检查行动

Origin & History

搜 (to search thoroughly) + 查 (to inspect, to examine) — to conduct a thorough official inspection

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal