察
Character learning workspace

chá · to examine, to investigate, to observe

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 察

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 察 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

14Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

宀Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 察 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 察

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

cháWords pronounced chá
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Example sentences

Notice where 察 sits in each complete thought.

Tā yí kàn jiàn jǐng chá jiù táo zǒu le.他一看见警察就逃走了。

As soon as he saw a policeman, he ran away.

Source: Tatoeba #408826 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Guān chá niǎo lèi shì gè hěn hǎo de yè yú àihào.观察鸟类是个很好的业余爱好。

Bird watching is a nice hobby.

Source: Tatoeba #333590 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Biàn huà tài xiǎo, chá jué bù chū lái.变化太小,察觉不出来。

The change is too small to be observed.

Source: Tatoeba #1577369 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Gànbù men shì chá le wǒ men de xué xiào.干部们视察了我们的学校。

The cadres inspected our school.

Source: Tatoeba #812567 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wài miàn yǒu yí gè jǐng chá xiǎng jiàn nǐ.外面有一个警察想见你。

There's a policeman outside who wants to see you.

Source: Tatoeba #1233191 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Jǐng chá huì ràng nǐ qù zhǎo zǐdàn de.警察会让你去找子弹的。

The police will get you to find the bullets.

Source: Tatoeba #501392 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 察 in context

  1. Say chá, then recall the core meaning: to examine, to investigate, to observe.
  2. Write all 14 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 警察 (jǐng chá), meaning “police”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 察 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.