Chinese word

破案

Pronunciation

Pinyinpò àn

Meaning

  • verbsolve a case

Example

警察终于破案了。jǐng chá zhōng yú pò àn le

The police finally solved the case.

Illustration for 破案 (solve a case)

More examples

线索不足，案件一直无法破案。xiàn suǒ bù zú àn jiàn yì zhí wú fǎ pò àn

With insufficient clues, the case could not be solved for a long time.

Core concept

A tangled case is untangled one doubt at a time until its truth and culprit become clear.

Common phrases

  • 迅速破案xùn sù pò àn

    quickly solve a case

  • 警方破案jǐng fāng pò àn

    the police solve a case

  • 成功破案chéng gōng pò àn

    solve a case successfully

Similar words

调查diào chá: Investigating a matter by gathering information and evidence to establish its facts or cause.
办案bàn àn: Processing a case through investigation, paperwork, and other official steps.
侦破zhēn pò: Solving a case by piecing together clues and evidence to identify the culprit.
破获pò huò: Breaking up a criminal organization or solving a serious crime by arresting those involved.

Definition in Chinese

通过逐一排查疑点，揭示案件真相并抓获作案者。tōng guò zhú yì pái chá yí diǎn jiē shì àn jiàn zhēn xiàng bìng zhuā huò zuò àn zhě

Word origin

破案 (pòàn, "solve a case") combines 破 (pò, "break through") + 案 (àn, "case"), framing investigation as breaking through a case's hidden barriers.

Usage tips

  • The word has a formal investigative flavor in conversation, so it can make a small everyday matter sound like a police investigation when used outside crime-related contexts.

Other meanings

  • find the culpritverb
  • uncover the truthverb

Word lists with this word