chá

examine

Original meaning: 

eaves

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "eaves". The meaning later shifted to "observe from above", "examine", and "inspect".

Components
宀 meaning component

  Meaning component

mián

  

roof

祭 sound component

  Sound component

zhài

  

sacrifice to

Evolution

察 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
察 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
察 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
察 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

chá

examine, investigate; notice; to examine; to inquire; to observe; to inspect; to look into; obvious; clearly evident

 

Chá

short name for Chahar Province 察哈爾|察哈尔[Chá​hā​'ěr]

() 

chá

variant of [chá]

Most common words with 察
Freq.
Word
Meaning

警察

police

观察

to observe

考察

to inspect

检察官

public prosecutor

监察

to supervise

Component uses

Sound component in 5 characters (1 verified)