过安检

You use it just like a regular verb. You can say 我要过安检了 to tell someone you are about to go through. You can also add time words. For example, 过安检要半个小时 means the process takes thirty minutes. It is very flexible. You can use it as a reason for being late. You can use it to tell a friend to stop texting you for a moment. It is a functional, everyday phrase.

Use this anytime you are at a transport hub. In China, this happens a lot. You 过安检 at airports and train stations. You even do it at every single subway entrance. If you are going to a big stadium or a museum, you will use it there too. It is the perfect phrase for travel updates. Text it to your ride when you have cleared the line.

Do not use this for general 'checking' of things. If you are checking your email, use 查. If you are checking a door is locked, use 检查. 过安检 is specifically for those official security gates with scanners. Also, do not use it for 'checking in' at a hotel. That is a different process entirely. This phrase is strictly about the X-ray machines and metal detectors.

In China, 过安检 is a daily ritual for millions. Most major city subways require a bag scan. This makes the phrase much more common than in many Western countries. People are very used to the 'beep' of the scanners. You will see people expertly tossing their bags onto the belt. It is a fast-paced part of the urban rhythm. There is a silent etiquette to doing it quickly.

You might hear 做安检, but 过安检 is much more natural. If the line is long, you say 排队过安检. If you have already finished, you say 过了安检. If you want to talk about the security staff, they are 安检人员. Sometimes people just say 安检 as a noun to refer to the checkpoint itself. For example, 安检在那边 means the security check is over there.