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参

參
cān
verb #7,919

Meanings

  1. 1 to participate; to join
  2. 2 to refer to; to consult
  3. 3 ginseng (shēn)

Examples

你要参加比赛吗？
Nǐ yào cānjiā bǐsài ma?
Are you going to participate in the competition?
请参考这本书。
Qǐng cānkǎo zhè běnshū.
Please refer to this book.
参观博物馆很有趣。
Cānguān bówùguǎn hěn yǒuqù.
Visiting the museum is interesting.

Tips

usage
参 has multiple readings: cān (to participate, as in 参加, 参观, 参考), and shēn (ginseng, as in 人参 rénshēn). Key compounds: 参加 (to join), 参观 (to visit), 参考 (to refer to), 参与 (to participate in).

Components

radical
厶 sī
private; self (Kangxi radical)
Top 厶 is the indexing radical — Kangxi #28, originally a curl picturing self-enclosure or private possession. Sits at the top of 参 as a stylized cap; in older forms this position drew a head, ginseng root, or a starry cluster, but the modern simplification reduces it to the abstract two-stroke 厶. Same radical: 去 to leave, 县 county.
semantic
大 dà
big; person
Middle 大 is the outstretched-figure pictograph — arms wide, legs apart. In 参 it is the body of a standing person; below 厶 and above the trailing 彡 hair-strokes, the picture is a human figure adorned with streaming locks or stars. This is the ancient meaning of 参 as one of the 28 lunar mansions (Orion).
semantic
彡 shān
hair-streaks; fine lines
Bottom 彡 is the three-stroke flourish radical, picturing flowing hair, light-rays, or fine streaks. Below 大 it represents either the streaming hair of an adorned figure or the rays of starlight from the Shen (Orion) constellation. Same family: 形 shape, 影 shadow, 须 beard — all using 彡 for visual ornament.

Stroke Order

参 cān