调查 (diàochá) · to investigate

调查 (diàochá) means “to investigate; survey; investigation”. It is written with 2 characters: 调 (to transfer) + 查 (to check). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

How 调查 is built

The characters

调 diào · to transfer

What 调 is made of

讠yán — speech
周zhōu — Zhou dynasty
- 冂 — frame
  - 丨 — vertical stroke
- 土tǔ — earth
  - 十 — ten
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
  - 冂 — frame
  - 一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: 讠 gives the meaning, 周 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

查 chá · to check

What 查 is made of

木mù — tree
- 十 — ten
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 丨 — vertical stroke
- 八bā — eight
旦dàn — dawn
- 日rì — sun; day
  - 口kǒu — mouth
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke

Example sentences

我们做了一个调查。Wǒmen zuò le yī gè diàochá.We did a survey.

警察正在调查这件事。Jǐngchá zhèngzài diàochá zhè jiàn shì.The police are investigating this matter.

Questions about 调查

What does 调查 mean?

调查 (diàochá) means “to investigate; survey; investigation”.

How do you pronounce 调查?

调查 is pronounced diàochá.

Which HSK level is 调查?

调查 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 4.

Related words

Learn 调查 with its group

It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 56: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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