About
The character "研" originally depicted the act of grinding or polishing, a concept derived from its structural composition which combines the radical for "stone" (石) with a phonetic and semantic component that suggested evenness or leveling. Its traditional form, "硏", more clearly shows this second element as "幵", representing two level objects, reinforcing the idea of making something smooth or fine through friction, such as grinding ink on an inkstone or milling grain. Over time, the semantic field of the character extended from this physical process of refinement to the metaphorical process of careful, detailed examination and inquiry, leading to its primary modern meaning of "to research" or "to study". This conceptual shift from a concrete, physical action to an abstract intellectual one is reflected in the character's simplification, where the complex "幵" was replaced with the simpler "开", retaining the stone radical to preserve a tangible link to its original, gritty essence while streamlining its form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我们在研究问题。
科学家研究新药物。
公司研发新产品。
他研磨咖啡豆。
这个研究结果很重要。
他们正在深入研究这个课题。
为了成功，我们必须仔细研究市场。
经过多年的研究，他终于发现了真相。