Meaning
検 means to inspect, examine, or investigate — looking closely at something to assess its condition, confirm authenticity, or check compliance against a standard. A doctor reviewing blood test results, a prosecutor scrutinizing evidence, a programmer running a database query: all of these actions fall under 検.
The kanji combines the radical 木 (tree/wood) on the left with the phonetic component 㑒 on the right. In ancient China, official records were carved on wooden tablets, so 木 here evokes the careful inspection of those documents. The meaning broadened over time to any systematic examination.
検 is a Grade 5 elementary school kanji written in 12 strokes. The form you see today is shinjitai (simplified Japanese); the traditional version is 檢, still found in classical texts. At N2 level, you'll meet this kanji constantly — in news headlines, hospital paperwork, legal reports, and academic writing.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
One on'yomi reading: ケン. It appears almost exclusively in compound words (jukugo) and rarely stands alone. The ケン reading entered Japanese from Middle Chinese, carried by the vocabulary of official inspection and record-keeping.
Key compounds using ケン:
- 検査 (kensa) — inspection, examination, test (medical test or quality check)
- 検討 (kentō) — consideration, deliberation, review
- 検索 (kensaku) — search, lookup (internet or database searches)
- 検証 (kenshō) — verification, validation
- 検察 (kensatsu) — prosecution, public prosecutor's office
- 検定 (kentei) — certification exam, authorized test (e.g., JLPT, Kanken)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
検 has no kun'yomi in modern standard Japanese — it doesn't function as a standalone native word. This is typical of kanji with administrative or technical origins: meaning travels through Sino-Japanese compounds, not native roots. Focus on ケン and the compounds it builds; that's where all the action is.
Common Words & Compounds
検 shows up across medicine, law, technology, and daily administration. Here are the key compounds, grouped by theme.
Medical & Health:
- 検査 (kensa) — medical examination, test, inspection
- 検診 (kenshin) — health check-up, screening
- 検体 (kentai) — test specimen, sample (e.g., blood or tissue sent to a lab)
Legal & Investigative:
- 検察 (kensatsu) — public prosecution
- 検事 (kenji) — public prosecutor
- 検挙 (kenkyo) — arrest, roundup of suspects
- 検問 (kenmon) — police checkpoint, inspection at a checkpoint
- 検死 (kenshi) — death inquest, post-mortem examination
Academic & Official:
- 検定 (kentei) — official certification exam
- 検証 (kenshō) — verification, fact-checking
- 検討 (kentō) — careful consideration, review of an issue
Technology & Daily Use:
- 検索 (kensaku) — search (internet, database)
- 点検 (tenken) — maintenance inspection (e.g., car service check)
- 検閲 (ken'etsu) — censorship, official content screening
Example Sentences
毎年、健康検査を受けることが大切です。
Maitoshi, kenkō kensa wo ukeru koto ga taisetsu desu.
Getting a health check-up every year matters.
この問題については、さらに検討が必要です。
Kono mondai ni tsuite wa, sara ni kentō ga hitsuyō desu.
This issue needs further consideration.
図書館のサイトで本を検索できます。
Toshokan no saito de hon wo kensaku dekimasu.
You can search for books on the library's website.
警察は容疑者を検挙しました。
Keisatsu wa yōgisha wo kenkyo shimashita.
The police arrested the suspect.
車の点検は定期的に行う必要があります。
Kuruma no tenken wa teikiteki ni okonau hitsuyō ga arimasu.
Cars need regular maintenance checks.
検察官は証拠を慎重に検証しました。
Kensatsukan wa shōko wo shinchō ni kenshō shimashita.
The prosecutor carefully verified the evidence.
漢字検定の2級に合格するために毎日勉強しています。
Kanji Kentei no ni-kyū ni gōkaku suru tame ni mainichi benkyō shite imasu.
I study every day to pass level 2 of the Kanji Proficiency Test.
国境で荷物の検問を受けました。
Kokkyō de nimotsu no kenmon wo ukemashita.
My bags were checked at the border crossing.
この薬は臨床検査の結果が良好でした。
Kono kusuri wa rinshō kensa no kekka ga ryōkō deshita.
This drug showed favorable results in clinical trials.
Memory Tip
Picture a detective holding a magnifying glass over a wooden board. The left side of the kanji is 木 (tree/wood) — an ancient official document carved on wood. The right side looks like someone leaning in, peering closely. Together: an official inspecting a wooden tablet. That's 検. For the sound, link ケン to the English word "keen" — a keen eye is exactly what thorough inspection requires.