<p>In general, the difference between the two words is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>检测 means &quot;to test&quot;</p>
<p>检查 means &quot;to inspect&quot; or &quot;to examine&quot;, but also &quot;to test&quot; works, in most contexts</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When talking about viruses, the two terms are used a bit interchangeably. However you should use 检测 when referring to a diagnostic test:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>阳性/阴性<strong>检测</strong>结果 positive/negative test results</p>
<p><strong>检测</strong>冠状病毒的仪器 coronavirus testing devices</p>
<p>大部分患者尚未进行新冠病毒<strong>检测</strong> most patients have not been tested for the coronavirus</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You can use 检查 when you mean &quot;to inspect&quot; or &quot;to test&quot; more generically:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>对外来人口进行<strong>检查</strong> conduct tests/inspections (generic) on the foreign population</p>
<p>胸部CT<strong>检查</strong>发现异常 thoracic CT scan shows anomalies</p>
<p>进行食品安全<strong>检查</strong> conduct food safety inspections</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-05T15:02:29.740Z
2020-08-05T15:18:49.893Z
2020-08-05T15:18:49.893Z
blackgreen
<p>Since COVID-19 was mentioned, I want to share some real-world examples of 检测 being used.  A few weeks ago, here in Beijing there was an outbreak, and we all needed to get tested (检测) for COVID-19.</p>
<p>The first photo is the notice posted outside our building that we should all get tested (I covered up some local information for privacy):</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sr1Ow.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sr1Ow.jpg" alt="Notice in our area in Beijing" /></a></p>
<p><strong>通知</strong></p>
<p>居民朋友们，<br />
安定们街道将于2020年6月22日（周一）开展全民<strong>核酸检测</strong>，请您携带身份证到社区居委会登记报名。</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>检测</strong>时间：6月22日（具体时间点特定）<br />
<strong>检测</strong>地点：？？？</p>
</blockquote>
<p>社区电话：？？？<br />
社区地点：？？？<br />
报名<strong>检测</strong>的居民参<strong>检</strong>时需配戴好口罩，携带居民身份证及<strong>核酸检测卡</strong>（<strong>检测卡</strong>将于检测前发放）。<br />
宝钞南社区2020年6月21日</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So when being tested (检测) for COVID-19, we took the nucleic acid test 核酸检测.  And I took a photo of my passport and 核酸检测卡 before getting tested:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/2Qbzbm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2Qbzbm.jpg" alt="my passport and 核酸检测卡" /></a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-06T06:33:39.020Z
有「檢查」一下你COVID-19的「檢測」報告嗎？
HungYu Chang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-06T01:02:28.387Z
2020-08-06T01:02:28.387Z
Becky 李蓓
<p><a href="https://translate.google.com/#view=home&amp;op=translate&amp;sl=zh-CN&amp;tl=en&amp;text=%E6%A3%80%E6%B5%8B" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google translate</a> gives &quot;discover&quot; and &quot;detect&quot; for &quot;检测&quot; as well as &quot;examination&quot; and &quot;checking&quot; for &quot;检查&quot;.</p>
<p>When talking about COVID-19, should I use 检测 or 检查?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-05T14:37:06.727Z
Please can you provide an example sentence to show how the word would be used when talking about Covid-19?
blackgreen
<usage><difference>
What's the difference between 检测 and 检查?
# What's the difference between 检测 and 检查?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-05)

[Google translate](https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&text=%E6%A3%80%E6%B5%8B) gives "discover" and "detect" for "检测" as well as "examination" and "checking" for "检查".

When talking about COVID-19, should I use 检测 or 检查?

**Tags:** usage, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please can you provide an example sentence to show how the word would be used when talking about Covid-19?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-05. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

In general, the difference between the two words is:

> 检测 means "to test"
>
> 检查 means "to inspect" or "to examine", but also "to test" works, in most contexts

When talking about viruses, the two terms are used a bit interchangeably. However you should use 检测 when referring to a diagnostic test:

> 阳性/阴性**检测**结果 positive/negative test results
>
> **检测**冠状病毒的仪器 coronavirus testing devices
>
> 大部分患者尚未进行新冠病毒**检测** most patients have not been tested for the coronavirus

You can use 检查 when you mean "to inspect" or "to test" more generically:

> 对外来人口进行**检查** conduct tests/inspections (generic) on the foreign population
>
> 胸部CT**检查**发现异常 thoracic CT scan shows anomalies
>
> 进行食品安全**检查** conduct food safety inspections


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-06. Score: 1

Since COVID-19 was mentioned, I want to share some real-world examples of 检测 being used. A few weeks ago, here in Beijing there was an outbreak, and we all needed to get tested (检测) for COVID-19.

The first photo is the notice posted outside our building that we should all get tested (I covered up some local information for privacy):

> [![Notice in our area in Beijing](https://i.sstatic.net/sr1Ow.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/sr1Ow.jpg)
>
> **通知**
>
> 居民朋友们，  
> 安定们街道将于2020年6月22日（周一）开展全民**核酸检测**，请您携带身份证到社区居委会登记报名。
>
> > **检测**时间：6月22日（具体时间点特定）  
> > **检测**地点：？？？
>
> 社区电话：？？？  
> 社区地点：？？？  
> 报名**检测**的居民参**检**时需配戴好口罩，携带居民身份证及**核酸检测卡**（**检测卡**将于检测前发放）。  
> 宝钞南社区2020年6月21日

So when being tested (检测) for COVID-19, we took the nucleic acid test 核酸检测. And I took a photo of my passport and 核酸检测卡 before getting tested:

> [![my passport and 核酸检测卡](https://i.sstatic.net/2Qbzbm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/2Qbzbm.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 有「檢查」一下你COVID-19的「檢測」報告嗎？  

---

