试用

• Pinyin: shì yòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 试 = 言 + 式 (to try — tentative speech/action); 用 = to use, to employ (depicts a bucket/vessel — functional use)

Meaning

To try out; to use on a trial basis. To test a product, employee, or system before making a final commitment.

Applied both to products (trial samples, demo versions) and to personnel (probationary employment). Key collocations: 试用装 (trial-size sample), 试用期 (probationary period), 试用版 (trial version of software), 供试用 (available for trial). Distinct from 试行 (piloting a policy/system at an institutional level): 试用 is more personal and transactional, 试行 is more official and programmatic.

Examples

1. 消费者在正式购买高价护肤品之前，可先向品牌专柜申请试用小样，亲身体验产品质地与功效后再决定是否购买。 Before purchasing expensive skincare products, consumers can first request trial samples at the brand counter and decide whether to buy after personally experiencing the texture and effects.
2. 公司人事规定，新入职员工须经三个月试用，期满后由部门主管根据实际表现决定是否予以转正并签订正式劳动合同。 Company HR rules require new employees to undergo a three-month probation; after it ends, the department manager decides—based on actual performance—whether to confirm the position and sign a formal labor contract.
3. 这款办公软件向企业用户提供三十天免费试用，期间可使用全部高级功能，届时再根据使用体验决定是否续订付费方案。 This office software offers enterprise users a 30-day free trial with full access to all premium features, after which they can decide whether to renew a paid plan based on their experience.

Usage Guide

Context: employment, consumer, technology, retail

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在签署正式采购合同前，采购团队希望对这批设备进行为期两周的实地试用，以验证其在本厂实际生产环境中的稳定性和兼容性。(Before signing the formal procurement contract, the purchasing team hopes to carry out a two-week on-site trial of this batch of equipment to verify its stability and compatibility in the actual production environment of their factory.)
• 求职者在面试中表现优秀，公司决定录用并安排其在市场部进行为期三个月的试用，试用期间享有与正式员工相同的基本薪酬待遇。(The candidate performed excellently in the interview; the company decided to hire them and arranged a three-month probationary period in the marketing department, during which they will receive the same basic remuneration as permanent staff.)

Don't Say

• 试用 when referring to piloting an institutional policy — use 试行 (to pilot a regulation/system); 试用 is for product sampling and employment probation, not for official policy experimentation

Origin & History

试 (to try, to test) + 用 (to use, to employ)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal