The character 察 — “observe”: how to write it and what it means
observe, inspect
The Chinese character 察 is read chá and means “observe, inspect”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 察
察 has 14 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 察, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 察 is made of
On top, 宀 “roof”. It hints at the sound of 擦 cā.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 察
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 察?
察 has 14 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 察 mean?
察 means “observe, inspect”. It appears in 警察 (“police officer”), 观察 (“observe”), 考察 (“survey”).
How do you pronounce 察?
察 is read chá. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 察 have?
14 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 察 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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