DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

考證

简考证 · 繁考證

Mandarin · pinyin kǎo zhèng

to do textual research
to make textual criticism
to verify by means of research (esp. historical details)
to take an exam to get a certificate (abbr. for 考取證件 kǎo qǔ zhèng jiàn)

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Characters in this entry

考: kǎo · examine, test; investigate
證: Look up this written character
证: zhèng · prove, confirm, verify; proof

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–4 · kao3 zheng4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

考證 · find source passages ↗ · 考证 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to do textual research or criticism
to investigate and verify
to take a qualification exam in order to get a certificate

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack