How to Write 勘 (kān) — Meaning “to investigate; to survey; to check”

Imagine you need great strength (力) to dig into a deep matter (甚) and examine it carefully. This visual of pushing your strength into the core of a problem will remind you that 勘 means 'to investigate' or 'survey'.

Write the left part 甚 first (9 strokes) with careful spacing for its many lines, then add the right radical 力 (2 strokes). A common mistake is making the 力 too small or unbalanced—keep both parts similar in height.

勘 has 甚 on the left and 力 on the right, meaning to investigate. 勃 has 孛 on the left and means 'vigorous' or 'sudden', while 勇 has 甬 on top and 力 below, meaning 'brave'. The left parts are visually distinct.

勘 appears in formal terms like 勘察 (survey a site), 勘探 (explore for minerals), and 勘误 (correct errors in a book). In publishing, 勘误表 (errata list) is a common cultural item used to fix mistakes after printing.

Common words containing 勘 include: 勘察 (kān chá) — to survey; to reconnoitre; 勘探 (kān tàn) — to explore; to prospect (for minerals); 勘误 (kān wù) — to correct errors; errata.