Try or Try On
Prepositions in both English and Spanish are very difficult for non-native speakers. I want to talk about the preposition “on” when used with the word “try.” Try has several meanings in English, but the meaning that I want to discuss here is the meaning “to sample, taste or test in order to evaluate.”
If somebody offers you some wine that you are not familiar with, she may say “Try it” or “Taste it.” She means that she wants you to sample it and see if you like it. The same term is used with food. Somebody may hand you a piece of food and say “Try it” or “Taste it.” They mean the same thing.
When the word “try” is used with clothing, you must use the preposition “on.” For example, if you are with a friend in a clothing store and see a sweater that you like, you’re friend might say “Try it on.” After trying it on, you might say “I tried it on, but it didn’t look good on me.” If you are in a shoe store with your friend and see a pair of shoes that you like, you might say “I think I’ll try them on.”
It is acceptable to use “try” without the “on” with some articles of clothing, but it changes the meaning completely. For example, suppose you bought a new pair of ski boots. A friend might ask you “Have you tried those new boots yet?” In this case your friend would not be asking whether you had “tried on” the boots to see if they fit. If he meant that he would have said “Have you tried on those new boots.” When he says “Have you tried those new boots yet?” he assumes that they fit. He is asking how they perform. Do they help you to ski better, are they comfortable after wearing them for a full day, etc.
