尝试 (cháng shì) — to try; to attempt in Mandarin

cháng​ shì
“to try; to attempt”

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#1479 most common word · HSK 6 · CEFR C2

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

尝试 is pronounced cháng shì. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

cháng
second tone (rising, ˊ)
shì
fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)

In a sentence

wǒ juédìng chángshì xuéxí xīn de jìnéng

I decided to try learning new skills.

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Frequently asked questions

What does 尝试 mean?+

尝试 (cháng shì) means "to try; to attempt" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 尝试?+

尝试 is pronounced cháng shì. It uses the tone 2 (rising), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 尝试 in Mandarin?+

尝试 is the #1479 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 尝试 fits

HSK 6 · CEFR C2
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Every HSK 6 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.