Meet 験 in 試験, 経験, and other useful words. Read the examples and connect each word to its meaning.

The idea

験 has 18 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram. Learn 試験 (しけん) and 経験 (けいけん) as whole words: a character’s reading depends on the word.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
試験しけんThere is a Japanese exam tomorrow.
経験けいけんI gain experience in my new job.
実験じっけんThe experiment at school is a lot of fun.
受験じゅけんMy younger brother will take a university entrance exam.

Examples

  • 明日あしたは日本語にほんごの試験しけんがあります。There is a Japanese exam tomorrow.
  • 新あたらしい仕事しごとで経験けいけんを積つみます。I gain experience in my new job.
  • 学校がっこうの実験じっけんはとても楽たのしいです。The experiment at school is a lot of fun.
  • 弟おとうとは大学だいがくを受験じゅけんします。My younger brother will take a university entrance exam.
  • 運転うんてんの経験けいけんが少すこしあります。I have some driving experience.
  • 試験しけんの結果けっかは来週らいしゅう分わかります。We will know the exam results next week.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Here, 試験 means “exam”; 経験 means “experience”. Compare 試験 (しけん) and 経験 (けいけん) in context: “There is a Japanese exam tomorrow.” and “I gain experience in my new job.” The same character does not make the words interchangeable. Compare the shapes of 験 and 検 as well.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 試験 in hiragana.

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    しけん

    試験 is read しけん. In context: There is a Japanese exam tomorrow.

  2. Write the reading of 経験 in hiragana.

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    けいけん

    経験 is read けいけん. In context: I gain experience in my new job.

  3. Write the missing kanji: 試＿ [験 / 検] (しけん).

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    験

    験 completes 試験, read しけん. In context: There is a Japanese exam tomorrow.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 験 from memory, then read 試験 and 経験 aloud. Check the readings and contexts.