試みる

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 試みる is an ichidan transitive verb written with 試, trial or attempt, and is read こころみる.
• Basic usage: It relatively formally describes making an actual attempt at a method or action in order to achieve a goal.
  • 別の方法で問題の解決を試みることにしました。 states a decision to attempt a solution by another method, while 彼は古い時計を自分で直そうと試みました。 describes trying to repair the old clock oneself.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Noun object and volitional form
  • The attempted goal can be a noun marked by を, as in 問題の解決を試みる, or an action in the volitional form followed by と, as in 直そうと試みる.
• Attempt is not success
  • 試みる expresses an attempt; it does not guarantee that the problem was solved or the clock was repaired.
• 試みる and 試す
  • 試す(ためす) broadly means testing an object or method to see how it performs. 試みる is a relatively literary or formal way to describe attempting an action toward a goal.