HSK 6 · Ideas

考验 kǎoyàn “to test” in Chinese

Traditional 考驗

What 考验 means

  1. to test
  2. trial
  3. to put to the test
  4. ordeal

How to say 考验

  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale考kǎo3rd tone, dipping
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale验yàn4th tone, falling

考验 in a sentence

  1. 我们的友谊受到了考验。

    Wǒmen de yǒuyì shòudào le kǎoyàn.

    Our friendship was put to the test.

    Sentence #8558455 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 汤姆的严酷考验远没有结束。

    Tāngmǔ de yánkù kǎoyàn yuǎn méiyǒu jiéshù.

    Tom’s ordeal is far from over.

    Sentence #5558511 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 考验 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 考 (kǎo) with each of its parts in a different colour
考kǎoto beat
  • 耂old form of 老 · lǎoMeaning part
  • 丂part of the characterSound part

Memory aid考 and 老 share the top 耂 and once both meant “old”. Today 考 means to test.

The character 验 (yàn) with each of its parts in a different colour
验yànto examine
  • 马horse · mǎMeaning part
  • 佥all · qiānSound part

马 hints at the meaning (horse); 佥 (qiān) hints at the sound. Compare it with yàn.

How to write 考验

考 6 strokes · 验 10 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

考验 (kǎoyàn) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 考验 (kǎoyàn). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 考验

Words with 考

考kǎo · to take an exam考试kǎoshì · exam考虑kǎolǜ · to think over参考cānkǎo · to consult思考sīkǎo · to reflect on考察kǎochá · to investigate考古kǎogǔ · archaeology考核kǎohé · to assess

Words with 验

经验jīngyàn · experience体验tǐyàn · to experience for oneself测验cèyàn · test实验shíyàn · experiment化验huàyàn · laboratory test验证yànzhèng · to verify检验jiǎnyàn · to inspect验收yànshōu · to check and accept试验shìyàn · test

More words: Ideas & Concepts

局面júmiàn · situation局势júshì · situation (esp. political or military)举世瞩目jǔshìzhǔmù · to attract worldwide attention局限júxiàn · to limit空白kòngbái · blank框架kuàngjià · frame苦尽甘来kǔjìngānlái · after hardship comes happiness来历láilì · origin

FAQs

考验 (kǎoyàn) means “to test” or “trial”. It is an HSK 6 word.
Say it kǎoyàn: kǎo with a 3rd tone, then yàn with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 考验 is written 考驗. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type kaoyan with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 考验 from the suggestions. Typing kaoyan into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
考验 is an HSK 6 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.