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How to write 试 (shì, “to test”)

试 (shì), an HSK 2 character, means “to test”, “to try” and “experiment”. It is HSK 2 in the 2025 syllabus, up from level 1 in the 2021 standard. The traditional form is 試, 13 strokes instead of 8. On its own it is an HSK 3 word; it also forms 考试 (“to take an exam”), 试题 (“exam question”) and 面试 (“to be interviewed”). Japanese keeps the traditional 試, read shi (“test”).

Pinyin
shì
Strokes
8
HSK
2
Radical
讠 (“speech”)
Traditional
試

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8

As a left-right character it splits into 讠 (“speech”, the radical), strokes 1–2; 式 (“type”), strokes 3–8, written the left part first.

  1. top leftdown and right
  2. leftrightwards → downwards → up and right
  3. centerrightwards
  4. centerrightwards
  5. centerdownwards → down and left
  6. bottomrightwards
  7. topdownwards
  8. top rightdown and right

Names of the strokes

Traditional form

Simplified
试 · 8 strokes
Traditional
試 · 13 strokes · see its strokes

Simplified vs traditional

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

PinyinMeaningsTraditionalIn words
shì
fourth tone		to test; to try; experiment; examination; test試考试 试题 面试 笔试
HSK 2025 syllabus
level 2
2021 standard
level 1
HSK 2.0
in a level 2 word
Words with it
122 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 试

WordPinyinMeaning
试 試shìto test; to try HSK 3
考试 考試kǎoshìto take an exam; exam HSK 2
试题 試題shìtíexam question; test topic HSK 4
面试 面試miànshìto be interviewed; interview HSK 4
笔试 筆試bǐshìwritten examination; paper test (for an applicant) HSK 4
尝试 嘗試chángshìto try (to see what it's like or whether one can do it) HSK 5
试用 試用shìyòngto try sth out; to be on probation HSK 5
试验 試驗shìyànexperiment; test HSK 5
测试 測試cèshìto test (machinery etc); to test… HSK 5
试卷 試卷shìjuànexamination paper; test paper HSK 5

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

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Keep going

HSK 2, in list order: