shí yàn
experiment; test; trial run
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我在做实验。
wǒ zài zuò shíyàn.
I am doing an experiment.
这个实验很简单。
zhège shíyàn hěn jiǎndān.
This experiment is very simple.
实验结果表明，这种方法是有效的。
shíyàn jiéguǒ biǎomíng, zhè zhǒng fāngfǎ shì yǒuxiào de.
The experimental results show that this method is effective.
试验 (shìyàn)
experiment; test
实验 (shíyàn)
experiment; test
理论 (lǐlùn)
theory
实践 (shíjiàn)
practice
The Chinese word 实验 (shíyàn) is composed of two characters: 实 (shí) and 验 (yàn). The character 实 originally meant "real" or "true", and was often used in contrast to the character 虚 (xū), which meant "empty" or "false". Over time, the meaning of 实 expanded to include the idea of "experiment" or "test", as in the phrase 实验证明 (shíyàn zhèngmíng), which means "proven by experiment". The character 验 originally meant "to examine" or "to inspect", and was often used in the context of legal proceedings or medical diagnoses. Over time, the meaning of 验 expanded to include the idea of "experiment" or "test", as in the phrase 验收 (yànshōu), which means "acceptance inspection". The combination of the characters 实 and 验 in the word 实验 (shíyàn) thus conveys the idea of "experiment" or "test", as in the phrase 实验结果 (shíyàn jiéguǒ), which means "experimental results".
