检测
jiǎn cè · HSK 4
to detect
🔍 检 (inspect) + 测 (measure) = detect/test
检 means to inspect or check; 测 means to measure or gauge. Together they form 检测 — to inspect-and-measure, i.e. detect or test. Common in tech contexts like virus detection or sensor readings.
测 — water radical 氵 + 则 (rule/standard)
测 combines the water radical 氵, hinting at meaning, with 则 (rule, standard), which also supplies the sound. Originally it referred to gauging the depth of water, then broadened to mean measuring, surveying, or testing in general.