Meaning of 试
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to test
- to try
- experiment
- examination
- test
How to use 试
As a verb, 试 often appears doubled or with 一下 to mean "give it a try," and it forms many exam words like 考试 (kǎoshì) and 面试 (miànshì). Example: 你试一下这件衣服。(Nǐ shì yíxià zhè jiàn yīfu.) Try on this piece of clothing.
试 (shì) has the speech radical 讠 on the left and 式 (shì, style or method) on the right. Picture someone speaking through a method step by step to try it out, and you have "to test" or "to try."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 试 (shì, to try) with 式 (shì, style) or 识 (shí, to know), since they look or sound alike. Remember that 试 needs the speech radical 讠 plus the whole of 式.
试 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
试 shì · to test · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
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- 5
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Related words
Words that share a character with 试.
| 考试 | kǎoshì | to take an exam; exam |
| 试验 | shìyàn | experiment; test |
| 试题 | shìtí | exam question; test topic |
| 测试 | cèshì | to test (machinery etc); to test (a person's skill in a particular area) |
| 面试 | miànshì | to be interviewed (as a candidate); interview |
| 试卷 | shìjuàn | examination paper; test paper |
| 试图 | shìtú | to attempt; to try |
| 尝试 | chángshì | to try (to see what it's like or whether one can do it) |
| 试点 | shìdiǎn | test point; to carry out trial |
| 笔试 | bǐshì | written examination; paper test (for an applicant) |
| 口试 | kǒushì | oral examination; oral test |
| 试探 | shìtan | to sound out; to probe |
Questions about 试
What does 试 mean?
试 (shì) means "to test; to try" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 试?
试 is made of 1 character: 试 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 试 an HSK word?
Yes. 试 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 试 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 试 is written 試.
What is the difference between 试 and 试试?
Both mean "try," but doubling the verb as 试试 (shìshi) makes it sound lighter and more casual, like "have a go." 试 alone usually takes an object or a complement, as in 试一下.
How do I say "try to do something" with 试?
Use 试着 plus a verb, as in 试着说中文 (shìzhe shuō Zhōngwén), "try to speak Chinese." You can also put the action first and then add 试试看 (shìshi kàn), meaning "try and see."