査
査 — Investigate
investigate
On’yomiサ (sa)
Kun’yomi—
Stroke order (9 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 査
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 捜査 | そうさ sousa | search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation; inquiry |
| 調査 | ちょうさ chousa | investigation; examination; inquiry |
| 検査 | けんさ kensa | inspection (e.g. customs, factory); examination; test |
| 査察 | ささつ sasatsu | inspection (for compliance); investigation (tax, etc.) |
| 審査 | しんさ shinsa | judging; inspection; examination |
| 実態調査 | じったいちょうさ jittaichousa | fact-finding investigation; investigation into actual conditions; fact-finding survey |
Study notes
査 is a JLPT N2 kanji written with 9 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 5), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #184 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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