One Character, Many Uses: 试 (shì)

Illustrated 试 word family with trying on clothes, sampling food, test driving, exams and interviews.

Have you noticed how often 试 (shì) appears in Chinese?

At its core, 试 means “to try” or “to test.” When combined with other characters, it forms useful words for everyday situations, from trying on clothes to taking an exam or attending a job interview.

Let’s explore this word family! 📝

1. Start with 试 (shì)

试 (shì) — to try; to test

When you want to try something, you can use 试. In everyday conversation, 试试 and 试一试 are both common ways to say “give it a try.”

Example

你可以试试这个方法。

Nǐ kěyǐ shìshi zhège fāngfǎ.

You can try this method.

💡 Tip: 试试 and 试一试 are often interchangeable. Both are natural ways to suggest trying something.

Illustration of trying a method, with a checklist and a hand selecting a step.

2. Try Something in Everyday Life 👕🍜

By combining 试 with other characters, you can form words for trying different things.

试穿 (shìchuān) — to try on clothes or shoes

我想先试穿一下这件外套。

Wǒ xiǎng xiān shìchuān yíxià zhè jiàn wàitào.

I’d like to try this jacket on first.

试吃 (shìchī) — to sample food

你可以先试吃一小块。

Nǐ kěyǐ xiān shìchī yì xiǎo kuài.

You can sample a small piece first.

试用 (shìyòng) — to try out a product or service

这个软件可以免费试用七天。

Zhège ruǎnjiàn kěyǐ miǎnfèi shìyòng qī tiān.

You can try this software free for seven days.

试驾 (shìjià) — to test-drive a car

买车前，我想先试驾一下。

Mǎi chē qián, wǒ xiǎng xiān shìjià yíxià.

Before buying a car, I’d like to take it for a test drive.

Notice the pattern: 试穿 is for clothes or shoes, 试吃 is for food, 试用 is for products or services, and 试驾 is for cars.

Learner test driving a car, illustrating 试驾.

The character 试 also appears in words related to exams, checking ability, and evaluating whether something works.

考试 (kǎoshì) — exam; to take an exam

我下周有汉语考试。

Wǒ xià zhōu yǒu Hànyǔ kǎoshì.

I have a Chinese exam next week.

测试 (cèshì) — to test; to check

我们需要测试一下这个网站。

Wǒmen xūyào cèshì yíxià zhège wǎngzhàn.

We need to test this website.

面试 (miànshì) — interview; to interview or attend an interview

我明天要去公司面试。

Wǒ míngtiān yào qù gōngsī miànshì.

I’m going to a job interview tomorrow.

试题 (shìtí) vs. 试卷 (shìjuàn)

These two words are related, but they refer to different things.

试题 — test or exam questions.
试卷 — a test or exam paper containing the questions.

Example

这份试卷有二十道试题。

Zhè fèn shìjuàn yǒu èrshí dào shìtí.

This test paper has twenty questions.

Test paper with twenty questions, illustrating 试卷 and 试题.

4. Two More Useful Words

Ready to learn a few more advanced expressions? 💡

试图 (shìtú) — to attempt to do something

试图 is more formal than 试试 and is usually followed by a verb or verb phrase.

他试图解释原因，但我还是没听明白。

Tā shìtú jiěshì yuányīn, dàn wǒ háishi méi tīng míngbai.

He tried to explain the reason, but I still couldn’t understand.

试验 (shìyàn) — to test; a trial or test

试验 is often used when checking whether something works or how well it performs, especially in scientific or technical contexts.

工程师正在进行一项安全试验。

Gōngchéngshī zhèngzài jìnxíng yí xiàng ānquán shìyàn.

The engineers are carrying out a safety test.

Engineers conducting a vehicle safety test, illustrating 试验.

5. More Words to Expand Your Vocabulary

Here are two additional words you may encounter in daily life and at work.

试用期 (shìyòngqī) — probation period

我的试用期是三个月。

Wǒ de shìyòngqī shì sān ge yuè.

My probation period is three months.

试探 (shìtàn) — to sound someone out; to probe

他试探着问我对这个计划的看法。

Tā shìtànzhe wèn wǒ duì zhège jìhuà de kànfǎ.

He cautiously asked what I thought of the plan.

A cautious discussion in an office, illustrating 试探.

A Quick Tip to Remember

The character 试 often relates to trying, testing, or checking something. However, the meaning of a complete word depends on how the characters work together.

For example:

试穿 — try on
试用 — try out
考试 — exam
面试 — job interview
试图 — attempt to do something

Learn these words in groups by situation, and you’ll find them easier to remember and use naturally.