try / test

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Nov 10, 2011
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Persian
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Iran
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Iran
What's the difference betwen "try" and "test"?
I tried my friend and he met my standards.
or
I tested my friend and he met my standards.
Which is correct? Could you please explain the difference to me?
 
We need more context to be sure.

What are you trying or testing him for?

Rover
 
Sorry for my late answer. I hope this context is helpful. Which one is natural? Any difference, please?
Whenever I want to make new friends, I have some standards of my own. I try / test them in different fields. The most important thing is trust. If they prove they are trustworthy, I make friends with them easily and quickly. But these days trying / testing people is very difficult because as if they know they are being tried / tested, so they just pretend!
 
Sorry for my late answer. I hope this context is helpful. Which one is natural? Any difference, please?
Whenever I want to make new friends, I have some standards of my own. I try / test them in different fields. The most important thing is trust. If they prove they are trustworthy, I make friends with them easily and quickly. But these days trying / testing people is very difficult because as if they know they are being tried / tested, so they just pretend!

The whole concept is alien to me. I have never thought to apply criteria to "test" people to see if they are worthy of my friendship.
 
The word you want seems to be 'test'. I would imagine that people who know you might find this whole thing rather trying.
 
The whole concept is alien to me. I have never thought to apply criteria to "test" people to see if they are worthy of my friendship.

It seemed alien to me as well, but then I thought a little harder, and one example of such a "test" sprang to mind. I remembered that I once read an interview with Quentin Tarantino and he seemed to employ a test to see if a woman is worthy of his "friendship":

“When I’m getting serious about a girl, I show her Rio Bravo and she better $@#&*%! like it.”

Perhaps a wee bit offtopic :).
 
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It is unlikely that I could be good friend with a person who held certain beliefs, , but I would not dream of testing or setting traps for someone I was getting to know. That smacks to me of trying to find out if they were 'good enough' to be my friend. I'm with bhai - the concept is alien to me. However, this is a language forum, so we try to answer the language question.
 
Excuse me, but why is it ailen to you? :shock:
You never test your friends? You simply make friends with anyone?
I was asked to come up with a context and I put it there just to get the word (test or try) I needed.
And, if I have gotten it right, it must be "test" and not "try". Am I right?
 
Hi,

It is alien to me too. But it is so because 'making friends' with anyone is a process that takes time. Time itself will test friendship enought times, so I don't see the point in testing it beforehand.

charliedeut.
 
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Can we keep this to a discussion of language, please? I admit that I went off-topic too, but my sin should not be a precedent for others.

You can continue the discussion on whether testing friends is acceptable here: General Members Discussions
 
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