Learn a Chinese Character

1. Character Basics

Radical: 穴 (xué)

Stroke Count: 7

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiū (1st tone)

3. Meaning

investigate, study thoroughly, find out,深究

4. Common Words

究竟 (jiū jìng) - actually, after all,究竟
研究 (yán jiū) - study, research
追究 (zhuī jiū) - investigate, look into
探究 (tàn jiū) - explore, probe
考究 (kǎo jiū) - examine carefully, elegant
深究 (shēn jiū) - study deeply, investigate thoroughly

5. Grammar & Usage

Part of Speech: Verb

Usage Patterns:

As a transitive verb: 研究问题 (yán jiū wèn tí) - study problems
In questions: 这究竟是怎么回事？ (zhè jiū jìng shì zěn me huí shì?) - What is this really about?
In noun phrases: 科学研究 (kē xué yán jiū) - scientific research
In idioms: 追根究底 (zhuī gēn jiū dǐ) - get to the bottom of things

Collocations:

与学术或问题相关：研究课题 (yán jiū kè tí) - research topic
与程度词搭配：深入研究 (shēn rù yán jiū) - in-depth study
与方法词搭配：调查研究 (diào chá yán jiū) - investigation and research

6. Cultural Background

The character "究" is deeply connected to the spirit of exploration, research, and the pursuit of truth in Chinese culture. Traditional Chinese learning emphasizes "格物致知" (gé wù zhì zhī), which means "investigate things to acquire knowledge."

In Confucian thought, "究" embodies an attitude and method of seeking knowledge. Confucius advocated "学而不厌" (xué ér bù yàn), encouraging people to continually investigate and learn.

The development of ancient Chinese science and technology also reflects the spirit of "究." Many ancient scientists made important scientific achievements through in-depth study of natural phenomena.

In modern Chinese, "究" remains an important concept, especially in academic research, scientific exploration, and problem-solving.

7. Example Sentence

Chinese: 他们正在研究这个问题的解决方案。

Pinyin: Tā men zhèng zài yán jiū zhè gè wèn tí de jiě jué fāng àn.

Translation: They are studying solutions to this problem.

8. Memory Tips

The character "究" is composed of "穴" (xué), meaning "cave" or "hole," and "九" (jiǔ), meaning "nine."

A helpful mnemonic: Imagine exploring deep inside a cave (穴) and asking nine (九) questions to understand everything thoroughly. This connects to the meaning of "究" as "to investigate deeply" or "to study thoroughly."

Another way to remember: "穴" can be associated with "depth," and "九" in Chinese culture sometimes represents "many" or "complete," so "究" can be understood as "deep, complete exploration."