Meaning
to check; to verify; to test; to examine
Chinese: 考试、考察或思考。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “kao” becomes a different word in each tone. 考 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 考试kǎo shìto take an exam; exam
- 考生kǎo shēngexam candidate; student whose name has been put forward for an exam
- 考验kǎo yànto test; to put to the test; trial; ordeal
- 考虑kǎo lǜto think over; to consider; consideration
- 思考sī kǎoto reflect on; to ponder over
Example Sentence
下周我们要考数学。Xià zhōu wǒ men yào kǎo shù xué.Next week we have a math exam.
下周Xià zhōunext week我们wǒ menwe要yàoto want考kǎoto beat数学shù xuémathematics。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
From the 老 (old) component: ‘to test, examine, give/take an exam; to check, verify, investigate, study; one's late father (先考); long-lived’ (考试, 思考, 考察).
A way to remember it
‘To test / to investigate’: 考试 (exam), 思考 (to think).