English–Chinese

“sound out” in Chinese

Chinese

Pronunciation

Pinyinshì tàn

Example

他在聊天时不断试探我的看法。tā zài liáo tiān shí bú duàn shì tàn wǒ de kàn fǎ

He kept sounding out my opinion while we chatted.

Illustration for 试探 (sound out)

How to say “sound out” in Chinese

“Sound out” in Chinese is 试探 (shì tàn).

A cautious first move that reveals another person's response without asking everything openly.

Full entry for 试探: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 试探

面试官通过几道问题来试探应聘者的真实想法。miàn shì guān tōng guò jǐ dào wèn tí lái shì tàn yìng pìn zhě de zhēn shí xiáng fǎ

The interviewer asks several questions to sound out the applicant's true thoughts.

Tips for using 试探

  • In everyday Chinese, this verb can describe testing the atmosphere in a conversation, so it helps distinguish a careful indirect question from a straightforward request for information.

“sound out” in other languages