実験をする

You use this phrase like any other noun + をする verb. It is very flexible. You can use it in the polite form 実験をします. Or use the casual form 実験をする with friends. If you are currently doing it, say 実験をしている. It sounds active and intentional. You are the scientist of your own life. Even if the 'lab' is just your messy desk.

Use it when you are actually in a science lab. That is the most common setting. But use it metaphorically too. Are you trying a new sleep schedule? That is 実験をする. Are you testing a new route to work? That is also a 実験. It’s great for work meetings. You can suggest 'conducting an experiment' with a new marketing strategy. It sounds professional yet innovative. It shows you are willing to learn from results.

Don't use it for simple 'trying' like clothes. For trying on a shirt, use 試着する. Don't use it for tasting food for the first time. For that, use 食べてみる. 実験をする implies a process or a question. If there is no 'hypothesis,' it might sound weird. Don't say it if you are just doing a routine task. It sounds like you don't know what you're doing. Unless you're being funny about your bad cooking!

Japan has a deep respect for the 'process' of making things. This is often called ものづくり (Monozukuri). 実験をする is a key part of this mindset. It’s about the 'Kaizen' spirit of constant improvement. Even failures in an experiment are seen as data. In Japanese schools, science experiments are very collaborative. This phrase carries a sense of shared discovery. It’s not just about the answer. It’s about how you got there.

You will often hear 実験を試みる (jikken o kokoromiru). This means to 'attempt' an experiment. It sounds much more formal and serious. Another one is 実験台になる (jikken-dai ni naru). This means 'to become a guinea pig.' Use this when your friend tries a new haircut on you. You can also say 再実験 (sai-jikken) for a re-test. If you are busy, just say 実験中 (jikken-chu). It means 'currently experimenting.' It’s a great way to tell people not to bother you.