勘探 kāntàn to explore
to explore; to survey; to prospect (for oil etc); prospecting
怎么记住“勘探”: 勘 to investigate + 探 to find = to explore.
汉字
用法
- To survey/prospect for underground resources - 石油勘探 (shíyóu kāntàn) oil exploration; 地质勘探 geological surveying.
- Technical, resource-industry term (exploring for oil, minerals, water).
- Distinct from 探索 (tànsuǒ, explore ideas/space); 勘探 is on-the-ground resource surveying.