Word
試験
Meaning in Englishexam, test
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
Word context
What it means
What does 試験 mean? It denotes an assessment or evaluation used to measure knowledge, ability, or suitability. It covers formal exams in education as well as broader tests and trials.
Main meanings
- Academic assessments including midterms, finals, and placement tests
- Licensing or professional certification examinations
- Trial runs or experiments used to test methods, devices, or processes
- An adjective use in 試験的 to describe something done on a trial basis
How to use it
Used in academic, professional, and everyday contexts to name tests, exams, and trials; formal uses include university or licensing exams, while colloquial usage refers to any assessment or screening; common phrases include 試験を受ける and 試験的 to describe something conducted on a trial basis.
Variants and close terms
- テスト (tesuto) — general, colloquial term for a test
- 検査 (kensa) — medical or formal testing
- 受験 (juken) — the act of taking an examination, especially for school admissions
- 試練 (shiren) — a more general sense of a trial or ordeal
Composition
- 試: to test; try; examination
- 験: proof, verification, examination
- Combination: a noun describing a formal assessment that proves competence
Etymology
Phonetic evolution shiken (shiken); a two-kanji compound built from the on'yomi readings of 試 (shi) and 験 (ken), reflecting a common pattern for forming nouns that mean test or examination in modern Japanese.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
試み
kokoromi
trial, experiment
N1
試みる
kokoromiru
to try, to test
N1
体験
taiken
personal experience
N2
受験
juken
taking an examination
N3
実験
jikken
experiment, laboratory work
N3
試し
tameshi
trial, test, attempt
N3
試す
tamesu
try, test, experiment
N4
試合
shiai
match, game, competition
N4
経験
keiken
experience