參

Translingual

Han character

參 (Kangxi radical 28, 厶+9, 11 strokes, cangjie input 戈戈戈竹 (IIIH), four-corner 2320₂, composition ⿱厽㐱)

Derived characters

• 傪, 嘇, 墋, 㜗, 㠁, 幓, 慘, 摻, 槮, 滲, 㺑, 犙, 㽩, 磣, 穇, 襂, 糝, 縿, 謲, 贂, 醦, 鏒, 驂, 鰺, 黲, 䟃, 遪, 剼, 毿, 䫩, 㓄, 瘮, 嵾, 篸, 蔘, 鬖
• 𠔭, 𠗿, 𢕕, 𤍜, 𤗲, 𤨵, 𥊀, 𬛓, 𧑁, 𧗋, 𮜒, 𩈼, 𬯘, 𩌰, 𩞀, 𩫦, 𣯶, 𩴑, 𢿈, 𣪶, 𨝐, 𪅩, 𠬙, 𦌀, 𩅙, 𰿕

Descendants

• 参 (Japanese shinjitai and simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 164, character 28
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3098
• Dae Jaweon: page 372, character 28
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 387, character 23
• Unihan data for U+53C3

• Unihan data for U+F96B

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 參
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Simplified from 曑 (晶 → 厽).

The bronze script form is an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 晶 (“stars”) + 光 (“light; brightness”) + 彡 (“light rays”) – Three Stars mansion. 彡 (OC *sroːm, *slom) also acts as a phonetic component. Ignoring the lines connecting the three stars, 光 may be interpreted as 卩 (“kneeling person”), representing someone looking at the shining stars above him.

Alternatively, it may be the original character of 簪 (OC *ʔsɯːm, *ʔsrɯm, “hairpin”), since the bronze script forms resemble a person wearing a hat with three stars.

Based on the seal script form, Shuowen interprets the character as a phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰluːm, *sʰluːms, *sloːm, *sʰrum, *srum) : semantic 晶 (“stars”) + phonetic 㐱 ().

Etymology 1

From 三 (OC *suːm, *suːms, “three”) + other element (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Definitions

參

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 參宿 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• Three Stars (Chinese constellation) (English)

1. (～宿) (Chinese astronomy) Three Stars mansion (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions)
2. a surname

Compounds

Etymology 2

Related to Japhug tɤzrɤm (“root”), Yakkha साम (“root”) (Jacques, 2015b).

Pronunciation

Definitions

參

1. ginseng or any other similar plant
2. Short for 海參／海参 (hǎishēn, “sea cucumber”).

Synonyms

• (ginseng):

Compounds

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “derived from 三? related to 審?”)

Pronunciation

Definitions

參

1. to join; to take part

   參軍／参军  ―  cānjūn  ―  to join the army

2. to consult

   參閱／参阅  ―  cānyuè  ―  to refer to

   參照／参照  ―  cānzhào  ―  to consult and follow

3. (literary) to examine; to inspect

   • 君子博學而日參省乎己，則知明而行無過矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     君子博学而日参省乎己，则知明而行无过矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Jūnzǐ bóxué ér rì cān xǐng hū jǐ, zé zhī míng ér xíng wú guò yǐ.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 察其好惡，以參忠佞，考其往行，驗之於今。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     察其好恶，以参忠佞，考其往行，验之于今。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals

     Chá qí hàowù, yǐ cān zhōng nìng, kǎo qí wǎngxíng, yàn zhī yú jīn.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. (literary) to investigate and understand

   參透／参透  ―  cāntòu  ―  to thoroughly understand

   • 此乃禪機隱語，汝宜自參，不可明說。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     此乃禅机隐语，汝宜自参，不可明说。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE

     Cǐ nǎi chánjī yǐnyǔ, rǔ yí zì cān, bùkě míng shuō.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. to pay visit to a superior

   參拜／参拜  ―  cānbài  ―  to make a formal visit to

6. (historical) to impeach an official before the emperor
7. (literary) to form a trio with two other things

   • 功參天地，澤被生民。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     功参天地，泽被生民。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Gōng cān tiāndì, zé bèi shēngmín.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 吾與日月參光，吾與天地為常。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     吾与日月参光，吾与天地为常。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Wú yǔ rìyuè cānguāng, wú yǔ tiāndì wéi cháng.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 衛君為告儀，儀許諾，因與之參坐於衛君之前。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     卫君为告仪，仪许诺，因与之参坐于卫君之前。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Wèi jūn wèi gào Yí, Yí xǔnuò, yīn yǔ zhī cān zuò yú Wèi jūn zhī qián.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Compounds

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

Definitions

參

1. (obsolete or financial) Alternative form of 三 (“three”)

   • 先王之制，大都不過參國之一。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     先王之制，大都不过参国之一。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Xiānwáng zhī zhì, dàdū bù guò sān guó zhī yī.

     According to the regulations of the former kings, such a city of the first order can have its wall only a third as long as that of the capital.

   • 足下與項王有故，何不反漢與楚連和，參分天下王之？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     足下与项王有故，何不反汉与楚连和，参分天下王之？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Zúxià yǔ Xiàng wáng yǒugù, hé bù fǎn Hàn yǔ Chǔ liánhé, sān fēn tiānxià wàng zhī?

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

See also

Compounds

Etymology 5

Related to 巉 (OC *zraːm, *zraːmʔ, “craggy”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Definitions

參

1. Only used in 參差／参差 (cēncī) and 參錯／参错 (cēncuò).

Compounds

Etymology 6

Pronunciation

Definitions

參

1. (Siyi Yue) clever; capable; competent; powerful

Synonyms

Etymology 7

From English ransom (Cheung, 2007, page 219).

Pronunciation

Definitions

參

1. (Cantonese) hostage (Classifier: 條／条 c)

Synonyms

• 人質／人质 (rénzhì)

Compounds

Etymology 8

Etymology 9

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 参)

1. three

Readings

• Go-on: さん (san); しん (shin); そん (son)
• Kan-on: さん (san); しん (shin)
• Kun: まいる (mairu, 參る)

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC tshom, “add; influence; join”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

參

Wikisource

參 (eumhun 참여할 참 (chamyeohal cham))

1. Hanja form^? of 참 (“to join; to participate”).

Compounds

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC tsrhim, “jagged; uneven”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Hanja

參 (eumhun 들쭉날쭉할 참 (deuljjungnaljjukhal cham))

1. (literary) Hanja form^? of 참 (“jagged; uneven”).

Compounds

Etymology 3

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC srim, “Three Stars mansion”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Hanja

參 (eumhun 별 이름 삼 (byeol ireum sam))

1. Hanja form^? of 삼 (“(Chinese astronomy) Three Stars mansion (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions)”).

Compounds

Etymology 4

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC sam, “three”).

Hanja

參 (eumhun 석 삼 (seok sam))

1. (financial) Alternative form of 三 (“Hanja form^? of 삼 (“three”).”)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

參: Hán Nôm readings: tham

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