Guess, Observe, Inspect

Interesting Fact

The character 察 combines 宀, suggesting a roof or covered place, with 祭, a ritual offering. In ancient Chinese culture, rituals involved carefully examining offerings and performing actions correctly, and the character eventually developed meanings connected with careful observation and investigation. This idea fits Japanese remarkably well: 観察（かんさつ） means observation, 察する（さっする） means to sense or infer something, and 警察（けいさつ） means the police.