試 — how to write the kanji for “test”
試 means “test”, “try” and “attempt”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in fourth grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 392nd most used kanji. Its parts sit side by side: 言 (“say”, its radical), strokes 1–7; 式 (“style”), strokes 8–13, each finished before the next. Its 13 strokes make it one of the longest to write at N4. Read shi, it forms 試合 (“match”), 試験 (“examination”) and 入試 (“entrance examination”); the native reading kokoro-miru gives 試み (“attempt”). Mainland Chinese writes it 试 (shì, “to test”), an HSK 2 character.
- Strokes
- 13
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 言 (“say”)
- On
- シ
- Kun
- ため·す, こころ·みる
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
- Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑bottom leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕bottom leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
- Rising stroke ㇀bottomup and right
- Slanted hook ㇂topdownwards
- Dot ㇔top rightdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (13 strokes in Japanese, 13 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- シ shi
- Kun (native)
- ため·す tame-su, こころ·みる kokoro-miru
- Meanings
- test; try; attempt; experiment; ordeal
- Read shi
- 試合 試験 入試 試算 試案 試練
- Read kokoro-miru
- 試み
- School year
- fourth grade
- Newspaper rank
- 392nd of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 시 si
- Common words
- 29 in JMdict
Words with 試
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 試合 | しあい shiai | match; game |
| 試験 | しけん shiken | examination; exam |
| 入試 | にゅうし nyuushi | entrance examination |
| 試み | こころみ kokoromi | attempt; trial |
| 試算 | しさん shisan | trial calculation; preliminary calculation |
| 試案 | しあん shian | tentative plan; draft plan |
| 試練 | しれん shiren | test; trial |
| 試作 | しさく shisaku | trial manufacture; experiment |
| 試金石 | しきんせき shikinseki | touchstone (assaying tool); touchstone |
| 国家試験 | こっかしけん kokkashiken | state examination; national examination |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: