So many meanings for Chinese words!

[beirne]

....trying a case

I've never heard this expression before. I'm surprised that only 试 and 是 are the only shi4 that can be used as verbs 弒 seems like a rather cool (but kinda useless one)

Here is a whole course on trying cases. :-)

试 and 是 aren't necessarily the only words pronounced shi4 that can be used as verbs. I only went through the top 3000 characters' date=' figuring that less frequently-used characters wouldn't be a problem in most speech. That's how 弒 got left out, but this is another good word for my list of things that Chinese has a word for that English doesn't.

(does the technique of "doubling" the verb have this "softening" effect on everything? or this just a special case)

I can't say if it applies in every case, but it is a pretty common softening technique.

[Ferno]

I've never heard this expression before. I'm surprised that only 试 and 是 are the only shi4 that can be used as verbs 弒 seems like a rather cool (but kinda useless one)

wow 弒 = to kill one's superior

that just proves how a good part of Chinese language evolution consisted of words being made only for writing with little heed for speech

[gougou]

we were talking about how single-syllable "是" (to be) and "试" (try) might be confused, but then you used two "shi4"s in "wo3 shi4shi4 kan4" (I try to see), as if it is 试试

Oh yeah, didn't think about that, it is not really monosyllabic anymore...

oh. I thought two syllable variants were always used, to avoid confusion?

Sadly, there is no such notion as avoiding ambiguity in China (which is also quite charming, once you get used to it)

wo3 shi4shi4 kan4" (I try to see)

I think that's not the exact meaning, when doubling the verb and adding kan4, it's more like do something to see whether it works out, as in cai1cai1 kan4 (guess to see whether you guess correctly), chuan1chuan1 kan4 (try on clothes to see whether they fit)...

to give another example of confusion in English, "try" can mean both "to attempt" or "to investigate and decide"

What really throws me off is that in English, "try" even can have different definitions depending on the grammatical form that follows - "try to push the button" vs. "try pushing the button".

[beirne]

What really throws me off is that in English, "try" even can have different definitions depending on the grammatical form that follows - "try to push the button" vs. "try pushing the button".

I'm not sure what the difference is in the meaning of the word "try" here. In both cases the request is to push the button and see what happens. There is a subtle difference here in the implied reason for pushing the button, but that doesn't affect the meaning of "try".

[beirne]

Just to stir things up some more, I just noticed that there are 9 words in the dictionary pronounced shi4shi4, with radically different means like "human affairs", "die", "assume office", and Buddha. I guess the fact that I only knew one of them has helped me avoid problems.

[HashiriKata]

I'm not sure what the difference is in the meaning of the word "try" here.

Try doing = Do something to see what'll happen, to get some idea : Try talking to your teacher and see what she says

Try to do = Exert effort to do something (because it's hard, etc.): I'll try to remember this complicated character

(Consequently, the Chinese translations for these 2 senses of "try" are different!)

EDIT: A more elaborate version:

1. Try something: do/ use/ experience something to find out more about it, try and see:

试 shi :

让我试一下 (let me try) / 试着给他打电话 (try ringing him) / 他试着用左手写字 (he tried using his left hand)

尝试 changshi: 这种办法我没尝试过，不知好不好 (I haven't tried this method, so I don't know if it's good)

2. Try to do something: make a great effort to do something, strive to do something:

力图 litu : 她力图忘记那件事 (she tried to forget the event).

尽量jinliang : 我尽量早来 (I'll try to come early)

尽力 jinli : 尽力帮助 (try to help)/ 尽力解决 (try to find a solution)

[nipponman]

Here is a whole course on trying cases. :-)

So trial must come from try in this instance. Amazingly, I've never thought about that.