试 shì — to test; to try; experiment; examination; test
你可以先试穿一下这件衣服。Nǐ kě yǐ xiān shì chuān yí xià zhè jiàn yī fu.You can try on this piece of clothing first.
Common words: 考试 (kǎo shì)、试验 (shì yàn)、试题 (shì tí)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to try"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to try", including 试 (shì), 审 (shěn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to try" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 试 (shì), 审 (shěn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shì, shěn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 试 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 试 shìto test; to try; experiment; examination; testUseful words: 考试, 试验
- 审 shěnto examine; to investigate; carefully; to try (in court)Useful words: 审判, 审查
Common words for these 2 "to try" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 试 (shì) — so "to try" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to try".
审 shěn — to examine; to investigate; carefully; to try (in court)
老师认真审阅了我们的作文。Lǎo shī rèn zhēn shěn yuè le wǒ men de zuò wén.The teacher carefully reviewed our essays.
Common words: 审判 (shěn pàn)、审查 (shěn chá)、审理 (shěn lǐ)
All 2 characters
Open 试、审 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.