测验
cèyàn · HSK 7
test
📝✅ ce-yan sounds like 'say-en' — say an answer on a test
测 means to measure or assess, 验 means to examine or verify. Together they form 'test' — a measured examination. Think: they CE (check) and YAN (verify) your knowledge.
测 — water radical 氵 + 则 (rule/standard)
测 combines the water radical 氵, hinting at meaning, with 则 (rule, standard), which also supplies the sound. Originally it referred to gauging the depth of water, then broadened to mean measuring, surveying, or testing in general.
验 — horse radical 马 + 佥 (all/together)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The horse radical 马 originally referred to inspecting horses, while 佥 (qiān, 'all together') supplied the sound. Over time the meaning broadened from 'examine a horse' to 'test, examine, verify' in general.