试探 (shì tan) — to sound out, to probe, to feel out | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

试探 is to carefully test or feel out someone's reaction before committing — softer and more cautious than 探索 (broad exploration) or 探测 (scientific survey).

verb

to sound outto probeto feel out

Examples

试探。
Tā xiān shì tan le yí xià duì fāng de fǎn yìng.
He first probed the other person's reaction.
试探。
Wǒ men shì tan yí xià zhè ge xīn fāng fǎ.
Let's try out this new method.
试探，。
Bié shì tan wǒ de nài xīn, wǒ kuài shòu bù liǎo le.
Don't test my patience; I can't stand it anymore.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

试 means try and 探 means probe; together they mean to try out or sound out.

Characters in this word

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.

言式試

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

𥥍

𥥍𥥍探tàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Communication & Speech

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.