审

審

shěn

宀 + 申

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

shěn (verb) to examine; to investigate

shěn (verb) to try (in court)

shěn (adjective) careful; thorough

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 申 represents the sound. Simplified form of 審.

Semantic: 宀 Phonetic: 申

About

审 (shěn) is the simplified form of the traditional character 審, a phono-semantic compound. It directly pairs the meaning element 宀 (mián, 'roof' or 'building') with the sound element 申 (shēn). The traditional 審, however, combined 宀 with 番 (fān), a component historically associated with the meticulous discrimination of animal tracks, conveying careful indoor investigation, especially in legal or administrative settings. The replacement of 番 by 申 simplifies the character while retaining its core meanings: to examine facts rigorously, interrogate suspects, hold formal trials, judge the merits of arguments, and exercise deliberate aesthetic appreciation.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

法官审判了这个案件。

Fǎguān shěnpànle zhège ànjiàn.

The judge tried this case.

警察审问了那个嫌疑人。

Jǐngchá shěnwènle nàge xiányírén.

The police interrogated that suspect.

我们需要审查这些数据。

Wǒmen xūyào shěnchá zhèxiē shùjù.

We need to examine these data.

她的审美观很独特。

Tā de shěnměiguān hěn dútè.

Her aesthetic view is very unique.

他审视着自己的错误。

Tā shěnshìzhe zìjǐ de cuòwù.

He is examining his own mistakes.

审查过程必须严格。

Shěnchá guòchéng bìxū yángé.

The examination process must be strict.

法院正在审理这起纠纷。

Fǎyuàn zhèngzài shěnlǐ zhè qǐ jiūfēn.

The court is hearing this dispute.

在投资之前，他审慎地研究了市场。

Zài tóuzī zhīqián, tā shěnshèn de yánjiūle shìchǎng.

Before investing, he carefully studied the market.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 宀

Component: 申

审