詗 (xiòng) - To spy & to reconnoiter

詗Tone 4

xiòng ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

信嫣

詗 · xiòng

To spy;

to reconnoiter;

to gather intelligence secretly;

to inquire about.

To spyto reconnoiterto gather intelligence secretly

Usage highlights

to spy onintelligence gatheringsecret inquirymilitary reconnaissancespy activitiesto reconnoiter enemy positions

Synonyms

  • 侦— to detect; to scout; to investigate
  • 探— to explore; to probe; to investigate
  • 察— to observe; to examine; to investigate

Antonyms

  • 告— to tell; to inform; to report (opposite of secret gathering)
  • 宣— to declare; to announce; to make public

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The scout was sent to spy on the enemy's movements (詗察敌情).
  • He inquired secretly about the situation (詗问情况).
  • Intelligence gathering is crucial in military operations (军事詗探).

Collocations

  • to spy on(詗察)
  • intelligence gathering(詗探)
  • secret inquiry(詗问)
  • military reconnaissance(军事詗察)
  • spy activities(詗谍活动)
  • to reconnoiter enemy positions(詗敌)

Idioms

  • To spy and observe secretly(詗察窥探)
  • Gathering intelligence from all sides(四方詗探)
  • Secretly inquiring about the situation(暗行詗问)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used in military and intelligence contexts in classical Chinese texts.
  • Appears in historical records describing espionage activities during warfare.
  • Considered a formal, literary character rarely used in modern colloquial language.

FAQ