參

參 U+53C3, 參 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-53C3 ← 参 [U+53C2] CJK Unified Ideographs 叄 → [U+53C4]

參 U+F96B, 參 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F96B ← 索 [U+F96A] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 塞 → [U+F96C]

Traditional
Simplified	参
Japanese	参
Korean

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

• 傪, 嘇, 墋, 㜗, 㠁, 幓, 慘, 摻, 滲, 㺑, 槮, 犙, 㽩, 磣, 穇, 襂, 糝, 縿, 謲, 贂, 醦, 鏒, 驂, 鰺, 黲
• 遪, 䟃, 剼, 毿, 㓄, 䫩, 嵾, 蔘, 篸, 瘮, 鬖

• 参 (Japanese shinjitai and simplified Chinese)

• 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

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. However, according to the original form, this character is unrelated to 㐱.

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		曑 叄 㕘 叅

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

參

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

trad.		參/蔘*
simp.		参
alternative forms		蓡 薓 葠 叄 㕘 蓡 薓 葠 叄 㕘 叅

Related to Japhug tɤzrɤm (“root”), Yakkha साम (“root”) (Jacques, 2015b), all from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *srəm (“root”).

參

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

• (ginseng):

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		叄 㕘／𠫭 叅／𠫵

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

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。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     君子博学而日参省乎己，则知明而行无过矣。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

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

     (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。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     察其好恶，以参忠佞，考其往行，验之于今。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, 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. [Pinyin]

     (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. [Pinyin]

     (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。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     功参天地，泽被生民。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Gōng cān tiāndì, zé bèi shēngmín. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

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

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

     Wú yǔ rìyuè cānguāng, wú yǔ tiāndì wéi cháng. [Pinyin]

     (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。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     卫君为告仪，仪许诺，因与之参坐于卫君之前。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, 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. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

trad.		參/叁
simp.		叁

參

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

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

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

     Xiānwáng zhī zhì, dàdū bù guò sān guó zhī yī. [Pinyin]

     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？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     足下与项王有故，何不反汉与楚连和，参分天下王之？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, 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? [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Chinese numbers
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	102	103	104	106	108	1012
Normal (小寫 / 小写)	〇, 零, 空	一, 蜀	二, 兩 / 两	三	四	五	六	七	八	九	十	百	千	萬 / 万, 十千 (Malaysia, Singapore)	百萬 / 百万, 桶(Philippines), 面桶 (Philippines)	億 / 亿	兆 (Taiwan) 萬億 / 万亿 (Mainland China)
Financial (大寫 / 大写)	零	壹	貳 / 贰	參 / 叁	肆	伍	陸 / 陆	柒	捌	玖	拾	佰	仟

In Min Nan numbers, the vernacular (白) pronunciation is the more common pronunciation, while the literary (文) reading is used for reading numbers out loud, such as in phone numbers. Please note that this usage is similar to the usage of the variant 幺 for the numeral 一 in Mandarin.

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		叄 㕘 叅

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

參

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

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		慘／惨 䟃／𫎺

參

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

trad.		參
simp.		参

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

參

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

• 人質／人质 (rénzhì)

For pronunciation and definitions of 參 – see 摻 (“càn, type of drum music”). (This character is a variant form of 摻).

For pronunciation and definitions of 參 – see 糝 (“mixed; impure”). (This character is a variant form of 糝).

Shinjitai	参
Kyūjitai	參

(Hyōgai kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 参)

1. three

• 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)

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

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	참 (Yale: chàm)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Sinjeung Yuhap, 1576	참예 (Yale: chamyey)	참 (Yale: cham)
Early Modern Korean
Text	Final (韻)	Reading
Samun Seonghwi, 1751	覃	참 (cham)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰa̠m]
• Phonetic hangul: [참]

Wikisource

參 (eumhun 참여할 참 (chamyeohal cham))

1. hanja form^? of 참 (“to join; to participate”) [affix]

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

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᄎᆞᆷ (Yale: chòm)
Early Modern Korean
Text	Final (韻)	Reading
Samun Seonghwi, 1751	侵	ᄎᆞᆷ (cham)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰa̠m]
• Phonetic hangul: [참]

參 (eumhun 들쭉날쭉할 참 (deuljjungnaljjukhal cham))

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

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

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᄉᆞᆷ (Yale: sòm)
Early Modern Korean
Text	Final (韻)	Reading
Samun Seonghwi, 1751	侵	ᄉᆞᆷ (sam)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰa̠m]
• Phonetic hangul: [삼]

參 (eumhun 별 이름 삼 (byeol ireum sam))

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

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

參 (eumhun 석 삼 (seok sam))

1. (financial) alternative form of 三 (“hanja form^? of 삼 (“three”)”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

參: Hán Nôm readings: tham

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.