How to Write 探 (tàn) — Meaning “to explore / to visit / to probe”

Imagine using your hand (扌) to reach into a deep, dark cave (罙) to explore what is inside. The sound "tàn" also reminds me of "tap" as in tapping around to probe for something.

Pay attention to the order: first write the hand radical 扌 (3 strokes), then the right part starting with the top dot (丶), then the cover (冖), and finally 大. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the dot above the cover.

Both 探 and 括 use the hand radical 扌, but the right side is different. 探 has 罙 (deep) and means to explore or visit, while 括 has 舌 (tongue) and means to include or tie. Another similar character 拜 means to bow or worship, and its right side looks different (not 罙 or 舌).

探 appears in common words like 探索 (to explore, often science or ideas), 探望 (to visit someone, like family or a patient), and 探听 (to snoop or fish for information). It is also used in detective stories, such as 探案 (to solve a case).

Common words containing 探 include: 探望 (tàn wàng) — to visit (someone); 探索 (tàn suǒ) — to explore / to probe; 探听 (tàn tīng) — to fish for information / to snoop.