考试
HSK 2 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)Old HSK 2
考试 (kǎoshì) · exam
考试 (kǎoshì) means “exam; to take an exam”. It is written with 2 characters: 考 (to take an exam) + 试 (to try). It is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 考试 is built
The characters
考 kǎo · to take an exam
What 考 is made of
- 耂lǎo — old
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 土tǔ — earth
- 丂kǎo — obstruction of breath (qi)
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 耂 gives the meaning, 丂 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
试 shì · to try
What 试 is made of
- 讠yán — speech
- 式shì — formula
- 弋yì — to catch
- 工gōng — labor
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丄shàng — above
Origin hint: 讠 gives the meaning, 式 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
明天有考试。Míngtiān yǒu kǎoshì.There's an exam tomorrow.
这次考试难吗？Zhè cì kǎoshì nán ma?Was this exam difficult?
Questions about 考试
What does 考试 mean?
考试 (kǎoshì) means “exam; to take an exam”.
How do you pronounce 考试?
考试 is pronounced kǎoshì.
Which HSK level is 考试?
考试 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 2.
Related words
- 考生kǎoshēngexam candidate
- 考验kǎoyànto test
- 参考cānkǎoto consult
- 考察kǎocháto inspect
- 考虑kǎolǜto consider
- 思考sīkǎoto think
- 考古kǎogǔarchaeology
- 考核kǎohéto assess
- 报考bàokǎoto register for an exam
- 高考gāokǎocollege entrance exam
Learn 考试 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 50: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.