察
chá
#564 most
frequent character
to examine, to inquire, to observe
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
察 puts 宀 building with 祭 jì, whose sound is a loose fit. It first meant a roof's lower edge, the eaves. The sense 'examine carefully' was borrowed for the sound alone, and from it came 'observe' and 'inspect'.
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