查
chá · HSK 2
look into
🔍 木 (wood/tree) + 且 — inspect timber piece by piece, hence to check or look up
Originally referred to inspecting wooden rafts or logs; the 木 radical signals wood, while 且 acts as a phonetic. The meaning broadened from physical inspection to any kind of looking up, consulting, or investigating.
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.