Kilo Lingo

(tàn yuán) - agent, detective, investigator in Mandarin

tànyuán

Traditional: 探員

Line drawing of 探员
Coloured illustration of 探员
#1441 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

agent, detective, investigator

Word origin

A compound of 探 (tàn, to probe, to investigate) and 员 (yuán, member, staff), naming a person whose role is to investigate.

Origin
compound
Root
探 (tàn, to investigate) + 员 (yuán, staff member)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 探

Stroke order for 员

Examples

This agent is in charge of investigating the case.

The agent followed that man for a whole day.

qiāoqiāo

Two agents quietly entered the building.

That agent quickly found the clue.

yōuxiù

He wants to become an excellent agent.

探员 (tàn yuán) refers to an agent, detective, or investigator, often one working for a law-enforcement or intelligence body. The suffix 员 marks a person filling a particular role.

Where this fits

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Mandarin · Free printables

探员: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "探员" (agent, detective, investigator): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 29.