核实 (héshí)

To investigate and confirm whether information, a claim, or a set of facts is accurate -- a critical step in journalism, law, science, and official procedures.

Meanings

[verb] to verify, to confirm, to authenticate, to check the facts

Example Sentences

记者在发表报道前必须核实所有信息的真实性。 Jìzhě zài fābiǎo bàodào qián bìxū héshí suǒyǒu xìnxī de zhēnshí xìng. Journalists must verify the authenticity of all information before publishing a report.

警方正在核实目击者的证词是否与监控录像相符。 Jǐngfāng zhèngzài héshí mùjīzhě de zhèngcí shìfǒu yǔ jiānkòng lùxiàng xiāngfú. The police are verifying whether the witness's testimony matches the surveillance footage.

请您核实一下您的订单信息，确认无误后再提交。 Qǐng nín héshí yīxià nín de dìngdān xìnxī, quèrèn wúwù hòu zài tíjiāo. Please verify your order information and confirm it is correct before submitting.

科学结论需要经过独立机构的核实才能被广泛接受。 Kēxué jiélùn xūyào jīngguò dúlì jīgòu de héshí cái néng bèi guǎngfàn jiēshòu. Scientific conclusions need to be verified by independent institutions before they can be widely accepted.

他被要求向移民局核实自己的居住地址和工作情况。 Tā bèi yāoqiú xiàng yímín jú héshí zìjǐ de jūzhù dìzhǐ hé gōngzuò qíngkuàng. He was required to verify his residential address and employment status with the immigration office.

对网络上的信息，我们有必要通过多个渠道加以核实。 Duì wǎngluò shàng de xìnxī, wǒmen yǒu bìyào tōngguò duō gè qúdào jiāyǐ héshí. For information on the internet, it is necessary for us to verify it through multiple channels.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
核实信息 (héshí xìnxī)	to verify information
核实身份 (héshí shēnfèn)	to verify identity
无法核实 (wúfǎ héshí)	impossible to verify
核实来源 (héshí láiyuán)	to verify the source
经过核实 (jīngguò héshí)	after verification
核实无误 (héshí wúwù)	verified as correct

Usage Notes

核实 is a formal verb most commonly found in journalism, law enforcement, and official administrative contexts. It implies a thorough, active process of cross-checking, not just a casual glance. It is more rigorous than 确认 (quèrèn, to confirm), which can mean simply acknowledging something.

The phrase 核实信息 is central to media literacy education in China, where "verify before sharing" is increasingly taught as a core digital skill. B2 learners should use 核实 when describing investigative or verification processes.

Memory Hook

核 means the core/nucleus -- as in 核心 (core) or 核武器 (nuclear weapon). 实 means real/true. 核实 is getting to the core of whether something is real -- drilling down to the hard truth at the center.