探
grope, search, look for
Readings
On'yomi
- タン
Kun'yomi
- さぐ.る
- さが.す
Meaning
探 centers on reaching out to find something not immediately visible: groping in the dark, searching for information, or looking for a person or object.
Most common words using 探
20 of 148- 探すさがすN5
to search for; to look for; to hunt for; to seek
- 探偵たんていN1
detective; investigator; sleuth
- 探るさぐるN2
to feel around for; to fumble for; to grope for; to search for; to look for
- 探索たんさく
search; lookup; hunt; (item of) research; exploration; investigation
- 探検たんけんN1
exploration; expedition
- 探査たんさ
probe; inquiry; enquiry; investigation
- 探知たんち
detection
- 探求たんきゅう
search; quest; pursuit
- 探し出すさがしだす
to track down; to locate; to find out; to smoke out; to ferret out; to chase up; to discover
- 探究たんきゅうN1
research; investigation; enquiry; inquiry; study
- 手探りてさぐりN1
fumbling; groping
- 探訪たんぼう
searching; hunting for news story; journalist
- 宝探したからさがし
treasure hunting; treasure hunt
- 探し求めるさがしもとめる
to search for; to seek for; to look for
- 探し回るさがしまわるN2
to search about for; to hunt around for; to look high and low for; to look everywhere for
- 探し当てるさがしあてる
to find (after searching everywhere); to locate; to discover
- 探照灯たんしょうとう
searchlight
- 家探しいえさがし
house hunting
- 探鉱たんこう
mineral exploration
- 探題たんだい
local commissioner (Kamakura or Muromachi eras)
Study
Etymology
探 combines 扌 (hand) with 罙, which is associated with depth or reaching into a hole. The character suggests a hand reaching into a deep space to search or grope.
Meaning mnemonic
The hand radical 扌 reaches into the deep, hole-like shape of 罙, like someone groping in the dark to find something.
Reading mnemonic
For タン, imagine searching with a tan-colored flashlight in a dark cave: tan -> タン, and the hand gropes along the walls.