HSK 6 · Science

探测 tàncè “to detect” in Chinese

Traditional 探測

What 探测 means

  1. to detect
  2. to probe
  3. to survey

How to say 探测

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale探tàn4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale测cè4th tone, falling

探测 in a sentence

  1. 科学家用飞船探测火星。

    Kēxuéjiā yòng fēichuán tàncè huǒxīng.

    Scientists use spacecraft to explore Mars.

    Sentence by WillyChina

  2. 这个仪器可以探测地下的水。

    Zhè ge yíqì kěyǐ tàncè dìxià de shuǐ.

    This instrument can detect water underground.

    Sentence by WillyChina

How 探测 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 探 (tàn) drawn as one shape
探tànto explore

探 is a single shape of 11 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

The character 测 (cè) with each of its parts in a different colour
测cèto survey
  • 氵water form of 水 · shuǐMeaning part
  • 则rule · zéSound part

氵 hints at the meaning (water); 则 (zé) hints at the sound. Compare it with cè.

How to write 探测

探 11 strokes · 测 9 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

探测 (tàncè) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 探测 (tàncè). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 探测

Words with 探

探索tànsuǒ · to explore探讨tàntǎo · to discuss探望tànwàng · to visit (esp. someone ill or elderly)侦探zhēntàn · detective勘探kāntàn · to explore

Words with 测

测验cèyàn · test推测tuīcè · to speculate测量cèliáng · to measure

More words: Science & Technology

设置shèzhì · to set up视频shìpín · video试验shìyàn · test太空tàikōng · outer space弹性tánxìng · elasticity天文tiānwén · astronomy体积tǐjī · volume提炼tíliàn · to refine

FAQs

探测 (tàncè) means “to detect” or “to probe”. It is an HSK 6 word.
Say it tàncè: tàn with a 4th tone, then cè with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 探测 is written 探測. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type tance with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 探测 from the suggestions. Typing tance into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
探测 is an HSK 6 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences written by WillyChina. Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.