探 tàn — to explore; to search out; to scout; to visit
周末我去医院探望了生病的爷爷。Zhōu mò wǒ qù yī yuàn tàn wàng le shēng bìng de yé ye.At the weekend I visited my sick grandpa in the hospital.
Common words: 探索 (tàn suǒ)、探讨 (tàn tǎo)、探测 (tàn cè)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to scout"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to scout", including 探 (tàn), 侦 (zhēn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to scout" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 探 (tàn), 侦 (zhēn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span tàn, zhēn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 探 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 探 tànto explore; to search out; to scout; to visitUseful words: 探索, 探讨
- 侦 zhēnto scout; to spyUseful words: 侦探, 侦察
Common words for these 2 "to scout" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 探 (tàn) — so "to scout" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to scout".
侦 zhēn — to scout; to spy
警察正在侦查这起案件。Jǐng chá zhèng zài zhēn chá zhè qǐ àn jiàn.The police are investigating this case.
Common words: 侦探 (zhēn tàn)、侦察 (zhēn chá)、经侦 (jīng zhēn)
All 2 characters
Open 探、侦 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.