to taste; to try
HSK level
尝 (cháng) is a verb meaning 'to taste' or 'to try' food or drink — putting a small amount in the mouth to judge its flavor: 尝一口 ('take a taste').
By extension it means 'to experience' something firsthand, as in 尝到甜头 ('to get a taste of the benefits'). English speakers should note that 尝 is specifically about tasting or experiencing, not general 'trying' — to try doing an activity you use 试 (shì), and to attempt is 尝试 (chángshì).
In classical and formal written Chinese 尝 also means 'ever / once' (equivalent to 曾), as in 未尝 ('never'), but this sense is literary. In everyday Mandarin it is a neutral, common food-and-experience verb, often followed by 一下 or 一口 to soften it into 'have a little taste.'
Note: Neutral for tasting food. The literary sense 'ever / once' (曾经) survives mainly in set phrases and written Chinese; in daily speech 尝 means tasting.
你尝尝这个菜，好吃吗？
Nǐ chángchang zhège cài, hǎochī ma?
Have a taste of this dish; is it good?
spoken
我想尝一口你的咖啡。
Wǒ xiǎng cháng yì kǒu nǐ de kāfēi.
I'd like to take a taste of your coffee.
spoken
来中国以后，我尝了很多没吃过的东西。
Lái Zhōngguó yǐhòu, wǒ chángle hěn duō méi chīguo de dōngxi.
After coming to China, I tasted many things I'd never eaten before.
neutral
厨师先尝了尝汤，然后加了点盐。
Chúshī xiān chángle cháng tāng, ránhòu jiāle diǎn yán.
The chef tasted the soup first, then added a bit of salt.
written
尝 is written with 9 strokes. Tap replay to watch each character drawn again.
品尝 ('to savor / sample') is more formal and deliberate — tasting carefully to appreciate flavor, as at a tasting or in reviews. 尝 is the everyday, quick 'have a taste.'
常 (same pinyin, different character) means 'often / usually.' 尝 is 'to taste.' They are homophones — 我常吃 ('I often eat') vs 我尝了 ('I tasted it').
尝试 ('to attempt / try out') is a two-character verb for trying an endeavor or approach. 尝 alone is mainly about tasting; don't use it to mean 'attempt.'
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