嘗試 / 尝试
chángshì
To try in Chinese is expressed as 嘗試 / 尝试 (chángshì). Wiktionary also lists 企圖 / 企图 (qǐtú) and 試 / 试 (shì).
Meaning: to attempt (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 嘗試 / 尝试 | chángshì |
| 企圖 / 企图 | qǐtú |
| 試 / 试 | shì |
Use 嘗試 / 尝试 to express trying out a new experience, a new method or a new way of doing things. You can also use 努力 to express the idea of 'trying' through the concept of 'effort'.
Which one should you use?
嘗試 / 尝试 is a neutral term for trying something out. In contrast, 企圖 / 企图 is used when someone is attempting something that is perceived as bad, malicious or subversive. While 尝试 is a standard way to say 'try', 试图 is a formal phrase specifically used to indicate an attempt or an effort to accomplish something.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the word 'try' can be expressed as 試.
How do you pronounce it?
chángshì
Did you know?
- Using 企圖 / 企图 to describe your own goals can make you sound like a movie villain or a subversive agent.
- The word 試 is a relative of the word for 'formula' or 'style', represented by the character 式, which originally meant to use or make use of something.
- The character 試 is used in the word for 'examination' (試驗 / 试验), meaning that in Chinese, an 'attempt' and a 'test' are linguistically very close.
Examples in context
- 我想尝试学习中文。I want to try learning Mandarin.
- 他试图改变自己的生活方式。He is trying to change his lifestyle.
- 我一直努力学好中文。I have been trying hard to learn Mandarin well.
- 我会尽力I'll try my best
- 咱们试试看Let's give it a try
- 为什么不试试呢？Why not give it a go?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “try” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 試, CC BY-SA 4.0.
