试 (shì) — to try; to test
Definition
Short, everyday verb for 'to try' — sampling something (food, clothes, a new phone). Use 尝试 or 试图 for a deliberate 'attempt' to do something hard, and 测试/试验/实验 for formal or technical tests.
verb
to tryto test
Examples
- 试。Nǐ shì yí xià zhè jiàn yī fu ba.Try on this piece of clothing.
- 试，。Wǒ shì guò le, zhè ge cài bù hǎo chī.I've tried it, this dish isn't good.
- 试。Qǐng shì yí xià zhè ge xīn shǒu jī.Please try out this new phone.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
The traditional form 試 puts 言 beside 式, and 式 gives the sound; the simplified 试 is the form of this character.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.