Chinese word

试探

Pronunciation

Pinyinshì tàn

Meaning

  • verbsound out

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)

More examples

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.

Core concept

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

Common phrases

  • 试探口风shì tàn kǒu fēng

    sound out someone's views

  • 试探对方底线shì tàn duì fāng dǐ xiàn

    test the other party's limits

  • 试探市场反应shì tàn shì chǎng fǎn yìng

    gauge the market response

Similar words

打听dǎ tīng: Directly asks people for useful information about a person, situation, or matter.
打探dǎ tàn: Contacts people involved or asks for their help in finding out hidden facts.
探听tàn tīng: Listens secretly to surrounding talk or sounds in order to collect information.

Definition in Chinese

通过试探性的问题或行为，观察对方的态度或反应以获取信息。tōng guò shì tàn xìng de wèn tí huò xíng wéi guān chá duì fāng de tài dù huò fǎn yìng yǐ huò qǔ xìn xī

Word origin

试 (shì, "try") + 探 (tàn, "explore") forms a verb for testing a person's response while seeking information.

Usage tips

  • 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.

Other meanings

  • probenoun

Opposites

  • 明说míng shuōstate plainlyverb
  • 直说zhí shuōspeak directlyverb

Related words

  • 试探者shì tàn zhěprobernoun
  • 试探性shì tàn xìngprobing naturenoun

Word lists with this word