“Can you check to see if the battery's charged?”

English Lesson: Can you check to see if the battery's charged?

You're getting ready to leave your house to go to a wedding. You're in a hurry, but your husband isn't. You're worried that there's not enough power in your camera's battery, so you ask your husband to find out.

Can you check to see if the battery's charged?

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charge (a battery or device)

To "charge" a device means to plug it in and fill the battery. You can use the word "charge" with "battery" or you can use it with the device itself:

Don't forget to charge the camera!

When the battery is full, you say that the device "is charged":

A: Is it charged?

B: Yep!

Charging a battery that has run out of energy can also be called "recharging" it:

I need to recharge my phone.

check to see if (something is true)

It's a little bit repetitive, but English speakers sometimes use the phrase "check to see". It just means to check something and find out what the situation is. Here are some examples:

Before you pull out, check in your rear view mirror to see if there's anyone behind the car.

I'll check to see if they have one of these at the hardware store around the corner.