The character 查 — “check”: how to write it and what it means
check, look up
The Chinese character 查 is read chá and means “check, look up”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 查
查 has 9 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 查, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 查 is made of
On top, 木 “tree”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 查
- 检查check, examineHSK 3
- 查看check, look overHSK 4
- 查找search (for information)HSK 4
- 调查investigate; surveyHSK 4
- 查询inquire, look upHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 查?
查 has 9 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 查 mean?
查 means “check, look up”. It appears in 检查 (“check”), 查看 (“check”), 查找 (“search”), 调查 (“investigate”).
How do you pronounce 查?
查 is read chá. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 查 have?
9 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 查 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.
Start for free