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Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

The character (kǎo) primarily means "to test" or "to examine," commonly used in educational contexts such as exams and assessments. It also extends to meanings like "to investigate" or "to consider," reflecting a broader sense of careful thought or scrutiny.

Common Contexts

  • Academic testing: 考试 (kǎoshì) means "exam" or "test." This is the most frequent usage.
  • Investigation or inspection: 考察 (kǎochá) means "to investigate" or "to inspect."
  • Thoughtful consideration: 考量 (kǎoliáng) means "to consider" or "to weigh options."

Collocations and Patterns

  • 考试 (kǎoshì): exam, test
  • 考察 (kǎochá): to investigate, to inspect
  • 考虑 (kǎolǜ): to consider, to think over
  • 考核 (kǎohé): to assess, to evaluate

Usage Notes

When used in the context of exams, is often combined with (shì) to form 考试. In more formal or investigative contexts, 考察 is common. For expressing the act of thinking or considering, 考虑 is preferred. Avoid confusing with similar sounding verbs like (jiào, to teach) or (shì, to try/test) which have different meanings.

Register and Tone

is neutral in tone and appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, especially in education and professional settings.

Example Sentences

I have to take a math exam tomorrow.

The teacher will test us on listening and speaking.

He is investigating the cause of this problem.

We need to carefully consider all options.