試し

• Reading: ためし
• Romaji: tameshi
• Kanji breakdown: 試 (shi/tame) — try, test, attempt
• Pronunciation: /ta.me.ɕi/

Meaning

Trial; test; attempt. The act of trying something to see the result.

The noun form of the verb 試す (tamesu, to try/test). Commonly used in the expression お試し (otameshi, trial/sample) for free trials or test periods. Also appears in 試しに (tameshi ni, as a test/just to try), a useful adverbial phrase for casual experimentation.

Examples

1. 試しにこの新しいレシピを作ってみた。 I tried making this new recipe just to see how it turned out.
2. お試し期間は三十日間です。 The free trial period is thirty days.
3. 試しに一回やってみたらうまくいった。 I gave it a shot once, and it worked out.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, cooking, daily life

Tone: exploratory

Origin & History

Derived from the verb 試す (tamesu). The kanji 試 combines 言 (word/speech) and 式 (ceremony/method), suggesting a formal process of testing or verifying.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal