初试 (chū shì) — (noun) preliminary examination (e.g., first round of exams); (verb) to make a first attempt; to debut

Definition

Means a 'first attempt' or 'preliminary round' (e.g., an exam, a performance, a method). The 初 emphasizes it is the initial stage, often followed by 复试 (second round) or further trials.

noun
preliminary examination (e.g., first round of exams)
verb
to make a first attemptto debut
Easily confused

Examples

  • 初试，。
    Tā tōng guò le chū shì, jìn rù le fù shì.
    He passed the preliminary exam and entered the second round.
  • 初试。
    Zhè cì yǎn chū shì tā de wǔ tái chū shì.
    This performance was his stage debut.
  • 初试，。
    Tā chū shì le yí xià xīn fāng fǎ, xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
    She tried out the new method, and the results were good.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

初chūfirst
试shìtry/exam

初 (first) and 试 (try/exam) combine to mean a first attempt or preliminary exam.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

Open 初 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 試; 试 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
式
式shì試shì
Same sound today

The traditional form 試 puts 言 beside 式, and 式 gives the sound; the simplified 试 is the form of this character.

Open 试 →

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