Chinese word

尝

Pronunciation

Pinyincháng

Meaning

  • verbtaste

Example

这道菜你想尝一下吗？zhè dào cài nǐ xiǎng cháng yí xià ma

Would you like to taste this dish?

Illustration for 尝 (taste)

More examples

过节时大家喜欢尝鲜。guò jié shí dà jiā xǐ huān cháng xiān

During festivals, everyone likes to try something new.

Core concept

A quick sample that turns uncertainty into firsthand knowledge, whether the sample is food or a short practical test.

Common phrases

  • 尝鲜cháng xiān

    try something new

  • 品尝pǐn cháng

    taste

  • 尝试cháng shì

    try

Similar words

试shì: Try doing something to see what result or effect it produces.
尝试cháng shì: Try a new method in practice to see whether it works and what results it gives.
品尝pǐn cháng: Taste a small amount of food or drink carefully to check its flavor and aroma.

Definition in Chinese

轻轻地尝一点食物或饮料以判断味道，也可指对某事做短时间的试探。qīng qīng dì cháng yì diǎn shí wù huò yǐn liào yǐ pàn duàn wèi dào yě kě zhǐ duì mǒu shì zuò duǎn shí jiān de shì tàn

Word origin

尝 (cháng, "taste") began with checking the flavor of food and later developed the broader sense of making a brief trial.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, 尝一下 (cháng yíxià, "have a taste") presents the action as brief, while 尝一口 (cháng yìkǒu, "have one bite or sip") states the small amount more clearly.

Other meanings

  • tryverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word