查处
chá chǔ · HSK 7
to investigate and handle (a criminal case)
🔍⚖️ cha = check + chu = process; investigate then handle the case
查 means to investigate or check, 处 means to deal with or handle. Together they form the legal term for looking into a matter and then taking action — like a detective who finds the evidence and a judge who delivers the sentence.
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.
处 — 夂 (foot) + 几 (low table/stool)
Originally depicted a person stopping (夂, an inverted foot) beside a stool (几), suggesting someone settling down in a place. From 'to dwell/stay' the meaning broadened to 'place, location' (chù) and 'to handle, deal with' (chǔ). The simplified form drops the older 虍 top found in 處.