试金石

試金石

shìjīnshí

noun #60,426

Measure Word

一块试金石 kuài

Meanings

1 touchstone
2 an acid test; a reliable way to verify something
3 the real test of quality or character

Characters

Examples

危机是领导力的试金石。

Wēijī shì lǐngdǎolì de shìjīnshí.

A crisis is the real test of leadership.

合作中最能看清一个人，那是友谊的试金石。

Hézuò zhōng zuì néng kàn qīng yī gè rén, nà shì yǒuyì de shìjīnshí.

Working together reveals people like nothing else — it's friendship's true touchstone.

这个项目将成为我们技术的试金石。

Zhège xiàngmù jiāng chéngwéi wǒmen jìshù de shìjīnshí.

This project will be the acid test of our technology.

Tips

culture

Originally a real object: a black siliceous stone against which jewellers rubbed gold to judge its purity by the streak it left. The figurative 'reliable test' sense tracks the Western use of 'touchstone' exactly.

Stroke Order

试 shì

金 jīn

石 shí