How do you say "exam" in Chinese?

考试

kǎo shì

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "exam" is 考试 (kǎo shì).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Aim for "kǎo shì" when you say it, "kǎo" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "shì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4).

Writing and usage

考试 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

她为考试努力复习。

tā wèi kǎo shì nǔ lì fù xí 。

She studied hard for the exam.

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How to remember 考试

Notice how "kǎo shì" rolls off the tongue, and tie that feeling to a quick mental picture of "考试" (kǎo shì).

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 考试

How do you pronounce 考试?

Aim for "kǎo shì" when you say it, "kǎo" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "shì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4).

Is 考试 formal or casual?

考试 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 考试 used in Chinese?

考试 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 她为考试努力复习。 (She studied hard for the exam.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Exam" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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