探究 (tànjiū)

探究 means to investigate or explore something deeply and systematically, especially to probe into the causes, essence, or truth of a phenomenon or problem, often with intellectual curiosity and rigor.

Meanings

[verb] to investigate; to explore; to probe; to inquire deeply into (the causes or essence of something)

Example Sentences

科学家们正在努力探究宇宙起源的秘密，试图回答人类最古老的问题之一。 Kēxuéjiāmen zhèngzài nǔlì tànjiū yǔzhòu qǐyuán de mìmì, shìtú huídá rénlèi zuì gǔlǎo de wèntí zhī yī. Scientists are working hard to explore the secrets of the origin of the universe, attempting to answer one of humanity's oldest questions.

这门课程鼓励学生主动探究，而不是被动地接受老师灌输的知识。 Zhè mén kèchéng gǔlì xuéshēng zhǔdòng tànjiū, ér bùshì bèidòng de jiēshòu lǎoshī guàn shū de zhīshì. This course encourages students to actively explore and investigate rather than passively accepting knowledge imparted by teachers.

研究人员花了数年时间探究这种疾病的发病机制，终于有了突破性的发现。 Yánjiū rényuán huāle shùnián shíjiān tànjiū zhè zhǒng jíbìng de fābìng jīzhì, zhōngyú yǒule túpòxìng de fāxiàn. Researchers spent years investigating the pathogenesis of this disease and finally made a breakthrough discovery.

这部纪录片深入探究了全球化对发展中国家传统文化的冲击与影响。 Zhè bù jìlùpiàn shēnrù tànjiū le quánqiú huà duì fāzhǎn zhōng guójiā chuántǒng wénhuà de chōngjī yǔ yǐngxiǎng. This documentary deeply explored the impact of globalization on the traditional culture of developing countries.

哲学的核心任务之一就是探究存在、知识和道德的本质问题。 Zhéxué de héxīn rènwù zhī yī jiùshì tànjiū cúnzài, zhīshì hé dàodé de běnzhì wèntí. One of the core tasks of philosophy is to probe the essential questions of existence, knowledge, and morality.

她以开放的心态探究不同宗教的哲学思想，在比较中加深了对人类精神世界的理解。 Tā yǐ kāifàng de xīntài tànjiū bùtóng zōngjiào de zhéxué sīxiǎng, zài bǐjiào zhōng jiāshēnle duì rénlèi jīngshén shìjiè de lǐjiě. She explored the philosophical thoughts of different religions with an open mind, deepening her understanding of the human spiritual world through comparison.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
深入探究	to probe deeply; in-depth investigation
探究原因	to investigate the causes
探究规律	to explore the laws/patterns
探究本质	to probe the essence/nature of
主动探究	to actively explore/investigate
探究精神	spirit of inquiry; inquisitive spirit

Usage Notes

探究 is more intensive and systematic than 探索 (to explore) or 研究 (to study/research). While 探索 often implies journeying into unknown territory, and 研究 refers to formal academic study, 探究 specifically emphasizes a deep, probing inquiry to uncover the underlying truth, causes, or essence of something.

探究 is widely used in Chinese education reform discourse, where 探究式学习 (inquiry-based learning) is an important pedagogical concept contrasted with rote learning.

Memory Hook

探 (to probe/explore) + 究 (to investigate thoroughly/to the end) — 探究 is to probe all the way to the bottom of a question.