试
to try; to test
shì
What does 试 mean?
试 (shì) is a verb meaning 'to try' or 'to test.' It covers two overlapping ideas English usually splits: attempting something to see how it goes (try the food, try a new method) and formally testing or examining something (a driving test, testing software). Native speakers very often reduplicate it as 试试 (shìshi) to mean 'have a quick go,' which sounds friendlier than the bare verb.
Note that 试 by itself is not the noun 'test' the way English 'test' is — for the exam itself, Chinese uses 考试 (kǎoshì). The character 试 also appears in compounds like 尝试 (chángshì, 'attempt'), 试验 (shìyàn, 'experiment'), and 面试 (miànshì, 'job interview').
Note: Works in spoken and written contexts. In casual speech it is often doubled to 试试 (shìshi) to soften the action into 'just give it a try.'
Character breakdown
to try; to test
Memory hook: Speech radical 讠 + 式 (style/way) — you 'speak out a way' to try it.
Example sentences
你试一下这个，很好吃。
Nǐ shì yíxià zhège, hěn hǎochī.
Try this — it's really tasty.
spoken
我想试试这件衣服。
Wǒ xiǎng shìshi zhè jiàn yīfu.
I'd like to try on this piece of clothing.
spoken
明天我有一个考试。
Míngtiān wǒ yǒu yí ge kǎoshì.
I have a test tomorrow.
neutral
你应该试一个新方法。
Nǐ yīnggāi shì yí ge xīn fāngfǎ.
You should try a new method.
neutral
别怕，试一次就知道了。
Bié pà, shì yí cì jiù zhīdào le.
Don't be afraid — try once and you'll know.
spoken
Common phrases with 试
Synonyms
Don't confuse 试 with
事 means 'matter / thing / affair' (a noun). 试 is a verb. They sound identical but are unrelated.
FAQ
Acquire by listening
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