体检 (tǐjiǎn) literally means 'body inspection' — 体 (tǐ) means 'body' or 'physical', and 检 (jiǎn) means 'to inspect', 'to examine', or 'to test'. Together, they form a compound noun meaning 'physical examination': a routine medical check-up to assess general health, screen for diseases, or meet requirements for work, school, or travel.

This term is widely used in formal and everyday contexts — for example, annual company-mandated exams, university entrance health checks, or pre-employment screenings. It’s not used for urgent or symptomatic medical visits (those are 看病 or 就诊); rather, 体检 emphasizes prevention and baseline assessment. The word is almost always used as a standalone noun and rarely appears in verb phrases without additional particles (e.g., 做体检 or 进行体检).