查 — to research; to check
to research; to check; to investigate; to examine; to refer to
- Pinyin
- chá · zhā · Zhā
- Strokes
- 9
- HSK level
- HSK 3
- Handwriting
- required
This character has more than one reading — chá, zhā, Zhā — and the pronunciation depends on the word it appears in. The list below gives the syllabus reading for each word.
How to write 查: 9 strokes
Each cell adds one stroke to the previous ones, with the new stroke in red. Stroke order is not decoration: it sets the proportions of the character and makes handwriting legible to a reader. This character is on the HSK handwriting list, so the exam expects you to write it, not only recognise it.
Words with 查 in the HSK syllabus: 18
Every word in the official 2026 syllabus that contains this character, with the level it is introduced at. Learning a character pays off through these: each one combines with the characters you already know.
- 查cháto research; to check; to investigate; to examineHSK 3
- 检查jiǎncháinspection; to examine; to inspectHSK 3
- 查看chákànto look over; to examine; to check up; to ferret outHSK 4
- 查找cházhǎoto search for; to look upHSK 4
- 调查diàocháinvestigation; inquiry; to investigate; to surveyHSK 4
- 查询cháxúnto check; to inquire; to consult; inquiry; queryHSK 6
- 查处cháchǔto investigate and handleHSK 7–9
- 查获cháhuòto track down and seizeHSK 7–9
- 查明chámíngto investigate and find out; to ascertainHSK 7–9
- 抽查chōuchárandom inspection; to do a spot checkHSK 7–9
- 复查fùcháto check again; to re-examineHSK 7–9
- 核查hécháto examine; to inspectHSK 7–9
- 考查kǎocháto investigate; to studyHSK 7–9
- 排查páicháto inspect; to run through a checklistHSK 7–9
- 筛查shāicháto screenHSK 7–9
- 审查shěncháto examine; to investigate; to censor outHSK 7–9
- 搜查sōucháto searchHSK 7–9
- 侦查zhēncháto detect; to investigateHSK 7–9
Glosses come from CC-CEDICT, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, and are the dictionary’s first sense rather than a translation chosen for context.