试 (shì): to try, to test
试 (shì) is a Chinese character meaning “to try, to test.” Classified as HSK Level 2 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 讠 (semantic) and 式 (phonetic). It ranks #643 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 试 speech. Its radical form 讠 (speech) appears in many related characters such as 认 (rèn, to recognize, to admit), 记 (jì, to remember, to record), 识 (shí, to know, knowledge).
Definitions
- to try, to test
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 试 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 试
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 试图verb | shì tú | to attempt | 6 |
| 测试verb | cè shì | to test (machinery etc) | 5 |
| 尝试verb | cháng shì | to try | 5 |
| 面试verb | miàn shì | to be interviewed (as a candidate) | 4 |
| 试验verb | shì yàn | experiment | 5 |
| 试用verb | shì yòng | to try sth out | 5 |
| 试卷noun | shì juàn | examination paper | 5 |
| 试题noun | shì tí | exam question | 4 |
| 笔试verb | bǐ shì | written examination | 4 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 考试 | kǎo shì | to take an exam |
| 试演 | shì yǎn | audition |
| 试试看 | shì shì kàn | to give it a try |
| 试探 | shì tàn | to sound out |
| 试穿 | shì chuān | to try wearing clothes |
| 试想 | shì xiǎng | to consider (a cogent point) (usu. used as an imperative – "Think about it: ...") |
| 比试 | bǐ shì | to have a competition |
| 试管 | shì guǎn | test tube |
| 调试 | tiáo shì | to debug |
| 试剂 | shì jì | reagent |
| 试用期 | shì yòng qī | trial period |
| 试点 | shì diǎn | test point |
| 试衣间 | shì yī jiān | fitting room |
| 试映 | shì yìng | preview (of a movie) |
| 试车 | shì chē | to test drive |
试 appears in 100 compound words: 67 as the first character, 27 as the last, and 6 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 试 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (5)
lit. to reach the tip and try (idiom); to have a go when at one's peak
Example Sentences
新产品正在测试阶段，预计下个月正式上市。
Xīn chǎnpǐn zhèngzài cèshì jiēduàn, yùjì xià gè yuè zhèngshì shàngshì.
The new product is in the testing phase and is expected to officially launch next month.
一男子试图闯入海湖庄园被击毙
yī nán zǐ shì tú chuǎng rù hǎi hú zhuāng yuán bèi jī bì
A man was killed while trying to break into Mar-a-Lago
台美日联手 进击AI记忆体...力积电扛试产与制造重任
tái měi rì lián shǒu jìn jī A I jì yì tǐ . . . lì jī diàn gāng shì chǎn yǔ zhì zào chóng rèn
Taiwan, the United States and Japan join forces to attack AI memory... PSMC shoulders the heavy responsibility of trial production and manufacturing
...宝爸出轨小三24次!性爱行事历曝光 人妻试图私了遭拒怒告索偿
. . . bǎo bà chū guǐ xiǎo sān 2 4 cì ! xìng ài háng shì lì pù guāng rén qī shì tú sī le zāo jù nù gào suǒ cháng
... Dad cheated on the mistress 24 times! The sex calendar was exposed, and the wife tried to be private but was rejected and angrily sued for compensation
乌鲁木齐水上乐园大熊猫馆试运营
wū lǔ mù qí shuǐ shǎng lè yuán dà xióng māo guǎn shì yùn yíng
Urumqi Waterpark's Giant Panda Pavilion Trial Operation
马年首日上海科技馆试开放 互动展项人气最旺
mǎ nián shǒu rì shǎng hǎi kē jì guǎn shì kāi fàng hù dòng zhǎn xiàng rén qì zuì wàng
The first day of the Year of the Horse, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum trial opening interactive exhibits most popular
你上次考试考得怎样？
Nǐ shàngcì kǎoshì kǎo de zěnyàng?
How were your last exams?
我可不可以试一下这条裙子？
Wǒ kěbu kěyǐ shì yīxià zhè tiáo qúnzi?
May I try on this dress?
我可以试穿这件外套吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ shìchuān zhè jiàn wàitào ma?
Can I try on this jacket?
他能过考试的，是不是？
Tā néng guo kǎoshì de, shìbùshì?
He could pass the examination, could not he?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 试 (shì) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 试 have?
What is the radical of 试?
What are the components of 试?
What are common words containing 试?
What characters sound the same as 试 (shì)?
Is 试 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 试 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.