审查
shěnchá · HSK 6
examine
🔍 A SHENiff CHAses clues — examine everything
Shen sounds like sheriff, cha like chase. A sheriff chases down evidence, examining every detail of the case.
查 — wood 木 + sun-on-tree 旦-like 且
Originally a variant form related to 楂 (a type of raft or wooden float), combining 木 (tree/wood) with 且 as phonetic. Over time it shifted to mean 'to inspect' or 'investigate,' likely through the idea of examining wood or tallies. The reading chá for 'check' became dominant in modern usage.