参茸 (shēnróng): ginseng and young deer antler (…

Meanings

1 ginseng and young deer antler (used together in TCM)
2 tonic medicinal materials (collective term)

Characters

参

young (deer) antler / soft fuzz

Examples

这家药店专卖参茸滋补品。

Zhè jiā yàodiàn zhuān mài shēnróng zībǔpǐn.

This pharmacy specializes in ginseng-and-antler tonic products.

他每年冬天都买参茸进补。

Tā měi nián dōngtiān dōu mǎi shēnróng jìnbǔ.

Every winter he buys ginseng and deer antler for tonic supplementation.

Tips

culture

参茸 lumps two prized TCM tonics together: 人参 (rénshēn, ginseng) and 鹿茸 (lùróng, velvet deer antler). Drugstore signs like 参茸海味 ('ginseng, antler, and dried seafood') are a fixture in Chinese medicine shops, especially in Hong Kong.

mistakes

Note 参 here reads shēn (the medicinal-herb pronunciation), not the more common cān (as in 参加 'attend').