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试 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
试shìto testHSK 3, v, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #459, Easy
试shìto tryHSK 3, v, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #459, Easy
试shìexperimentHSK 3, v, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #459, Easy
试shìexaminationHSK 3, v, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #459, Easy
试shìtestHSK 3, v, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #459, Easy
试shìto try, to experiment; exam, testHSK 3, v, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #459, Easy
shì(shi4) T4
  1. 1to test
  2. 2to try
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
试(試)shì(shi4)

The character 试 (shì) means 'to test' or 'to try.' It is commonly used in contexts such as taking exams, experimenting with ideas, or attempting new methods. This word conveys the idea of evaluating something through practical application or trial.

Strokes8Radical讠Frequency#459DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese education, exams play a crucial role, with the gaokao (高考) being a significant test that determines university admission. The character 试 reflects the emphasis on testing in academic and professional settings in China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef (the radical 示) who is testing a new recipe. The chef is ready to share his dish (试 sounds like 'shee') with the world, but first, he must taste it himself to see if it is good. This connection of tasting leads you to remember that 试 means 'to test' or 'to try.'

Meanings of 试

shì(shi4)
1to test
2to try
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 试

试Simplified
試Traditional
8Strokes
讠Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#459Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 试

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Podcast: 试

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AI Study Notes for 试

Quick Contrast

尝 (cháng) vs 试 (shì): 用尝 when referring to tasting food, while 试 is used for testing or trying something in a broader sense.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a chef (the radical 示) who is testing a new recipe. The chef is ready to share his dish (试 sounds like 'shee') with the world, but first, he must taste it himself to see if it is good. This connection of tasting leads you to remember that 试 means 'to test' or 'to try.'

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 试 is pronounced with a falling tone (shì), which can be confused with similar sounding words. It is often used in combination with other words, such as 考试 (kǎoshì, 'exam') or 实验 (shíyàn, 'experiment').

HSK Study Tips

As HSK Level 3 vocabulary, 试 connects well with other common verbs like 做 (zuò, 'to do') and 学 (xué, 'to learn'). Focus on its application in sentences and practice using it in context, particularly in phrases related to testing and trying.

Cultural Note

In Chinese education, exams play a crucial role, with the gaokao (高考) being a significant test that determines university admission. The character 试 reflects the emphasis on testing in academic and professional settings in China.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 试 with similar sounding words like 是 (shì, 'to be'). For example, saying '我试是这个' (Wǒ shì shì zhège) is incorrect; it should be '我试这个' (Wǒ shì zhège), meaning 'I will try this.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 试

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Etymology of 试

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 試. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 式 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

speech

Semantic (meaning)讠
+
Phonetic (sound)式
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 试?

Decomposition of 试

IDS Structure⿰讠式
试Full Character
=
讠yan2
left
式shi4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 试?

Write 试

试

Practice writing 试 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 试

试 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

同学们正在考____呢。

The classmates are taking an exam right now.

Example Sentences for 试 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“我会找催眠师试试，”我突然坚决地说。

“ “ wǒ huì zhǎo cuī mián shī shì，” shì ，” wǒ tū rán jiān jué。

"I think I'll try a hypnotist," I said with sudden resolution.
2
我一直乐于尝试新产品。

wǒ yī zhí lè yú cháng shì xīn chǎn pǐn。

I'm always pleased to try out a new variety.
3
她从未放弃过探究我内心深处情感的尝试。

tā cóng wèi fàng qì guò tàn jiū wǒ nèi xīn shēn chǔ qíng gǎn de cháng shì。

She never abandoned her attempts to plumb my innermost emotions.
4
我试着回忆在这里度过的所有美好时光。

wǒ shì zháo huí yì zài zhè lǐ dù guò de suǒ yǒu měi hǎo shí guāng。

I try to remember all the good times I've had here.
5
我再次尝试联系我的表妹琼。

wǒ zài cì cháng shì lián xì wǒ de biǎo mèi qióng。

I tried again to get ahold of my cousin Joan.
6
跟我说说你的临床试验。进展如何？

gēn wǒ shuō shuō nǐ de lín chuáng shì yàn。 。 jìn zhǎn rú？

Tell me about your clinical trials. How did they go?
7
我极不赞成你试图达成的目标。

wǒ jí bù zàn chéng nǐ shì tú dá chéng de mù biāo。

I'm highly unsympathetic to what you are trying to achieve.
8
他们甚至可能曾经相互比试过，只不过不是经常性的。

tā mén shèn zhì kě néng zēng jīng xiāng hù bǐ shì guò， ， zhī bù guò bù shì jīng cháng xìng。

They may even have raced each other — but not regularly.
9
反堕胎者所作的加强法规的尝试失败了。

fǎn duò tāi zhě suǒ zuò de jiā qiáng fǎ guī de cháng shì shī bài le。

An attempt by anti-abortionists to tighten the rules was defeated.
10
他们从最初的市场测试中了解了许多信息。

tā mén cóng zuì chū de shì cháng cè shì zhōng le jiě le xǔ duō xìn xī。

They learnt a lot from the initial market testing exercise.

Cultural Notes for 试

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese education, exams play a crucial role, with the gaokao (高考) being a significant test that determines university admission. The character 试 reflects the emphasis on testing in academic and professional settings in China.

Word Family of 试

Words Containing This Character20
试shìto test試
考试kǎoshìexam考試
测试cèshìtest測試
试验shìyàntest試驗
试图shìtúto attempt試圖
尝试chángshìto try嘗試
面试miànshìinterview面試
试点shìdiǎntest point試點
试用shìyòngon probation試用
试卷shìjuàntest paper試卷
试行shìxíngto try out試行
试剂reagent試劑
试试看to give it a try試試看
试探shìtanto sound out試探
试题shìtíexam question試題
调试tiáoshìto debug調試
试车to test drive試車
试演audition試演
笔试bǐshìwritten examination筆試
试想just think!試想
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 试 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 试

Common phrases include 考试 (kǎoshì, 'exam') and 尝试 (chángshì, 'to attempt').