试探性 (shì tàn xìng) — exploratory, probing, tentative

Definition

adjective
exploratoryprobingtentative

Examples

  • 试探性。
    Gōng sī jìn xíng le shì tàn xìng jiē chù.
    The company conducted exploratory contacts.
  • 试探性。
    Tā tí le yí gè shì tàn xìng wèn tí.
    He raised a probing question.
  • 试探性。
    Shuāng fāng jìn xíng le shì tàn xìng tán pàn.
    The two sides held exploratory negotiations.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

试探probe
试shìtest探tànprobe
联合Side by side
性xìngquality

试 and 探 give the idea of testing and probing, while 性 adds the sense of a quality, yielding exploratory.

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.

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 →

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.

Open 探 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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