检查
to check; to inspect; examination
jiǎnchá
What does 检查 mean?
检查 (jiǎnchá) means 'to check, inspect, or examine' — to look something over carefully for problems, errors, or quality. It is the standard verb for a doctor checking a patient (医生检查病人), a teacher reviewing homework (检查作业), or a person double-checking their own work (检查一下). Unlike English 'check,' which covers everything from ticking a box to verifying a fact, 检查 implies a deliberate, methodical inspection — not a quick glance.
It can also serve as a noun: 做检查 ('to do an exam/inspection'), 身体检查 ('physical examination'). In schools and offices, it carries a slightly formal weight; you 检查 something to make sure it meets a standard. For casual 'let me see' or 'take a look,' Chinese prefers 看看 (kànkan) or 看一下 (kàn yīxià).
Note: Works in speech and writing. The noun sense ('an examination') is common in medical and academic contexts: 身体检查 (physical exam), 期末检查 (end-of-term review).
Character breakdown
to examine; to inspect
to look into; to investigate
Memory hook: Two 'examining' characters stacked — when you 检查, you examine and then investigate. Belt and suspenders.
Example sentences
老师在检查我们的作业。
Lǎoshī zài jiǎnchá wǒmen de zuòyè.
The teacher is checking our homework.
neutral
我每年都去医院检查身体。
Wǒ měi nián dōu qù yīyuàn jiǎnchá shēntǐ.
I go to the hospital for a physical exam every year.
neutral
出门以前，请检查一下门和窗户。
Chūmén yǐqián, qǐng jiǎnchá yīxià mén hé chuānghu.
Before going out, please check the doors and windows.
neutral
我的车有问题，我想请你帮我检查。
Wǒ de chē yǒu wèntí, wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ jiǎnchá.
There's something wrong with my car; I'd like to ask you to check it for me.
spoken
Common phrases with 检查
Synonyms
查 alone means 'to look up, to investigate' — 查字典 (look up a word), 查资料 (search for information). 检查 is broader: a systematic inspection of an object or person, not just looking up information.
考试 is specifically a test or exam with a grade. 检查 is an inspection or review — a doctor's exam, a quality check, reviewing homework. They overlap only loosely in the 'examination' sense.
审查 ('to scrutinize, to censor, to review')
Don't confuse 检查 with
简单 (jiǎndān) means 'simple, easy.' Both start with 简/检 (jiǎn) but the second characters differ entirely — 检查 is inspecting, 简单 is describing simplicity.
调查 ('to investigate, to survey') is a deeper, often research-style inquiry — police 调查 a case. 检查 is a surface-level check or routine inspection. Police might 检查 your ID, then 调查 you.