審査

• Reading: しんさ
• Romaji: shinsa
• Kanji breakdown: 審 (shin) — judge, examine, deliberate; 査 (sa) — investigate, inspect
• Pronunciation: /ɕiɴ.sa/

Meaning

Examination; screening; review; judging; inspection of applications or entries.

A noun and する verb referring to the formal process of evaluating, judging, or screening something. Used for loan applications (ローン審査), visa processing, contest judging, quality inspections, and more. A very practical N2 word encountered in everyday bureaucratic and professional life in Japan.

Examples

1. ローンの審査に通るかどうか心配だ。 I'm worried about whether I'll pass the loan screening.
2. 書類審査を通過した人だけが面接に進める。 Only those who pass the document review can advance to the interview.
3. コンテストの審査は来月行われる予定だ。 The contest judging is scheduled to take place next month.

Usage Guide

Context: banking, immigration, competitions, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 審 (shin, judge/examine carefully) + 査 (sa, investigate/inspect). Both characters emphasise careful, thorough evaluation — 審 suggests deliberation and 査 suggests investigation.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal