Dictionary › 探

探

tàn

HSK 6 Character

What 探 means

1. to explore
2. to search out
3. to scout
4. to visit
5. to stretch forward

Example sentences

• 我是个侦探。
  Wǒ shì gè zhēntàn.
  I'm a detective.
• 汤姆在试探我。
  Tāngmǔ zài shìtàn wǒ.
  Tom is testing me.
• 我没想打探的。
  I didn't mean to pry.
• 探头配有麦克风。
  Tàntóu pèi yǒu màikèfēng.
  The probe is equipped with a microphone.
• 她把他形容为侦探。
  Tā bǎ tā xíngróng wéi zhēntàn.
  She described him as a detective.
• 她每两天探访我们。
  Tā měi liǎng tiān tànfǎng wǒmen.
  She visits us every other day.

Words starting with 探

• 探索tàn suǒto explore; to probe
• 探讨tàn tǎoto investigate; to probe
• 探望tàn wàngto visit; to call on sb; to look around
• 探测tàn cèto probe; to survey
• 探究tàn jiūto investigate; to delve; to probe
• 探亲tàn qīnto go home to visit one's family
• 探险tàn xiǎnto explore; to go on an expedition; adventure
• 探头tàn tóuto stick one's head out (from behind sth); to pop one's head in (through a window etc)…
• 探访tàn fǎngto seek by inquiry or search; to call on; to visit
• 探视tàn shìto visit (a patient, prisoner etc); to look inquiringly
• 探寻tàn xúnto search; to seek; to explore
• 探求tàn qiúto seek; to pursue; to investigate
• 探花tàn huācandidate who came third in the Hanlin examination…
• 探测器tàn cè qìdetector; probe
• 探听tàn tīngto make inquiries; to try to find out; to pry
• 探险家tàn xiǎn jiāexplorer
• 探长tàn zhǎng(police) detective
• 探戈tàn gētango (dance) (loanword)
• 探头探脑tàn tóu tàn nǎoto stick one's head out and look around (idiom)
• 探秘tàn mìto explore a mystery; to probe the unknown
• 探询tàn xúnto inquire into; to ask after
• 探照灯tàn zhào dēngsearchlight
• 探路tàn lùto find a path
• 探明tàn míngto ascertain; to verify

Words containing 探

• 侦探zhēn tàndetective; to do detective work
• 勘探kān tànto explore; to survey; to prospect (for oil etc)
• 试探shì tànto sound out; to probe; to feel out
• 打探dǎ tànto make discreet inquiries; to scout out
• 窥探kuī tànto pry into or spy on; to snoop; to peep
• 初探chū tànto conduct an exploratory foray into (an area of study, a market etc); a preliminary study
• 密探mì tànsecret agent; detective; covert investigator
• 试探性shì tàn xìngexploratory; tentative
• 刺探cì tànto pry into; to spy on; to probe into
• 包探bāo tàndetective (in former times)
• 坐探zuò tàninside informer; mole; plant
• 查探chá tànto check; to investigate; to probe (into)
• 神探shén tànmaster sleuth; lit. miraculous detective; cf Sherlock Holmes 福尔摩斯
• 警探jǐng tànpolice detective
• 太空探索tài kōng tàn suǒspace exploration
• 巴头探脑bā tóu tàn nǎoto poke one's head in and pry (idiom); to spy; nosy
• 空间探测kōng jiān tàn cèspace exploration
• 空间探测器kōng jiān tàn cè qìspace probe
• 暗探àn tànsecret agent; detective
• 鬼探头guǐ tàn tóu(colloquial) sudden emergence of a person or vehicle from a blind spot…
• 敌探dí tànenemy spy
• 钻探zuān tànto conduct exploratory drilling
• 钻探机zuān tàn jīdrilling machine
• 妙探寻凶Miào tàn xún xiōngCluedo (board game)

Characters that look like 探

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 根gēnroot; basis; classifier for long slender objects, e.g. cigarettes, guitar strings
• 税shuìtaxes; duties
• 敬jìng(bound form) respectful; to respect; to offer politely
• 捏niēto hold between the thumb and fingers; to pinch; to mold (using the fingers)
• 辊gǔnroller
• 赧nǎnblushing with shame

Sounds the same

Read tàn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 炭wood charcoal; coal
• 碳carbon (chemistry)
• 叹to sigh; to exclaim
• 宕used in 宕昌