The character 试 — “try”: how to write it and what it means

试
shì

try

8 strokes · HSK 2 · word page

The Chinese character 试 is read shì and means “try”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 试

试 has 8 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 试, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 试 is made of

On the left, 讠 “speech”.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 试

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 试?

试 has 8 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 试 mean?

试 means “try”. It appears in 考试 (“exam”), 试题 (“exam question”), 笔试 (“written exam”), 面试 (“interview”).

How do you pronounce 试?

试 is read shì. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 试 have?

8 strokes.

← 考 examine词 word →

More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 试 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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