試

Core senses include:

1. Verification: Putting something to the test to determine quality, truth, or functionality.

2. Attempt: Making an effort to achieve a result; venturing to do something.

3. Hypothetical: Introducing a mental experiment or rhetorical premise (e.g., "Suppose..." or "Let us say...").

• Transitive Verb: Used with a direct object (e.g., 試之) to mean "test" or "try this."
• Auxiliary/Modifier: When preceding another verb, it indicates an attempt ("try doing [X]").
• Discourse Marker: Used as an introductory particle for hypothetical scenarios.

When distinguishing between terms of examination:

• 試 (shì): The active process of trial or the act of putting something to the test.
• 驗 (yàn): Focuses on the result—the verification, proof, or evidence produced by a test.
• 考 (kǎo): Implies a more formal, rigorous, or scholarly examination/study.

Simplified variant: U+8BD5.

The glyph combines the "speech" radical (言) with the element for "formula" or "standard" (式), suggesting a process of measuring something against a standard, often involving verbal inquiry or challenge.

• In dialogue-heavy passages, consider if the "trial" is specifically an interrogation given the speech component.
• In administrative or legal contexts, determine if 試 refers to a specific procedural step or a formal trial of a candidate/official.