“查明”用英语可以说是“ascertain”。

“Ascertain”来源于拉丁语“ascertāre”，原意是“使明确”。它由“ad-”（向）和“certus”（确定）两个词组成。

例句：

The detective is trying to ascertain the motive behind the crime. (侦探正试图查明犯罪的动机。)

We need to ascertain the facts before making a decision. (我们需要查明事实才能做出决定。)

The report aims to ascertain the extent of the problem. (这份报告旨在查明问题的程度。)