參

See also: 参, 蔘, and 叄

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]

Translingual

Japanese	参
Simplified	参/叁
Traditional	參

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

Descendants

参 (Japanese shinjitai and simplified Chinese)

References

KangXi: 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

Characters in the same phonetic series (參) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
篸	ʔsluːm, ʔsluːms
參	sʰluːm, sʰluːms, sloːm, sʰrum, *srum
驂	*sʰluːm
傪	sʰluːm, sʰluːmʔ
慘	*sʰluːmʔ
黲	sʰluːmʔ, sʰloːmʔ
謲	*sʰluːms
毿	*sluːm
蔘	sluːm, srum
犙	sluːm, sru, *srɯu
糝	*sluːmʔ
槮	sluːmʔ, sʰrum, srum, srumʔ
鬖	*sloːm
摻	sruːm, sruːmʔ
醦	sruːmʔ, sʰrumʔ
縿	*sroːm
穇	*sroːm
嵾	*sʰrum
磣	*sʰrumʔ
墋	*sʰrumʔ
曑	*srum
瘮	*srumʔ
滲	*srums

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

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		曑叄㕘叅

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

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): shēn (shen¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄕㄣ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sam¹
Min Dong (BUC): sĕng
Min Nan (POJ): sim / serm / sam

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shēn
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shen
  - Wade–Giles: shên¹
  - Yale: shēn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shen
  - Palladius: шэнь (šɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂən⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: sam¹
  - Yale: sām
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sam¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: sem¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐm⁵⁵/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sĕng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛiŋ⁵⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sim
  - Tâi-lô: sim
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sym
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ɕim⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: serm
  - Tâi-lô: serm
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /səm³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam
  - Tâi-lô: sam
  - Phofsit Daibuun: safm
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /sam⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /sam³³/

Middle Chinese: /ʃˠiɪm/

Rime
Character	參
Reading #	1/5
Initial (聲)	生 (21)
Final (韻)	侵 (140)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	所今切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʃˠiɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/ʃᵚim/
Shao Rongfen	/ʃiem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʂjim/
Li Rong	/ʃjəm/
Wang Li	/ʃĭĕm/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʂi̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shēn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sam¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*srum/
(Zhengzhang): /*srum/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	參
Reading #	4/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	shēn
Middle Chinese	‹ srim ›
Old Chinese	/srum/ (should be s.rum)
English	the constellation Orion’ (named for the three stars in Orion’s belt)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	參
Reading #	5/5
No.	1108
Phonetic component	參
Rime group	侵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	森
Old Chinese	/*srum/

Definitions

參

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

Compounds

動如參商／动如参商
卯酉參辰／卯酉参辰
參商／参商
參辰／参辰

參辰卯酉／参辰卯酉
參辰日月／参辰日月
捫參歷井／扪参历井
斗轉參橫／斗转参横

日月參辰／日月参辰
曾參殺人／曾参杀人
月落參橫／月落参横
略無參商／略无参商

Etymology 2

trad.		參/蔘^*
simp.		参
alternative forms		蓡薓葠叄㕘蓡薓葠叄㕘叅

Jacques (2015b) suggests that this word is related to Japhug tɤzrɤm (“root”) and Yakkha साम (“root”).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): shēn (shen¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄕㄣ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sam¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sêm
Jin (Wiktionary): seng¹
Min Dong (BUC): sĕng
Min Nan (POJ): sim / serm / song / som
Wu (Wiktionary): sen (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shēn
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shen
  - Wade–Giles: shên¹
  - Yale: shēn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shen
  - Palladius: шэнь (šɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂən⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: sam¹
  - Yale: sām
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sam¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: sem¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐm⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sêm
  - Hakka Romanization System: sem´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: sem¹
  - Sinological IPA: /sem²⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: seng¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /sə̃ŋ¹¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sĕng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛiŋ⁵⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sim
  - Tâi-lô: sim
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sym
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Kinmen): /ɕim⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Lukang)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: serm
  - Tâi-lô: serm
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Lukang): /səm³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Magong)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: song
  - Tâi-lô: song
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sofng
  - IPA (Xiamen): /sɔŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Tainan, Taichung, Sanxia, Yilan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: som
  - Tâi-lô: som
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sofm
  - IPA (Zhangzhou, Tainan, Yilan): /sɔm⁴⁴/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: sen (T1)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /səɲ⁵³/

Middle Chinese: /ʃˠiɪm/

Rime
Character	參
Reading #	1/5
Initial (聲)	生 (21)
Final (韻)	侵 (140)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	所今切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʃˠiɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/ʃᵚim/
Shao Rongfen	/ʃiem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʂjim/
Li Rong	/ʃjəm/
Wang Li	/ʃĭĕm/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʂi̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shēn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sam¹

Definitions

參

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

Synonyms

(ginseng):

Dialectal synonyms of 人參 (“ginseng”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		人參
Mandarin	Taiwan	人參
	Luoyang	人參
	Wanrong	人參
	Xi'an	人參
	Yangzhou	參
	Singapore	人參
Cantonese	Guangzhou	參
Cantonese	Hong Kong	人參, 參
Gan	Nanchang	人參
	Lichuan	人參
	Pingxiang	人參, 參
Min Dong	Fuzhou	參
Min Nan	Xiamen	人參
	Quanzhou	人參
	Zhangzhou	人參
	Tainan	參仔
	Leizhou	參
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	人參
Wu	Suzhou	人參

Compounds

丹參／丹参 (dānshēn)
人參／人参 (rénshēn)
人參果／人参果
刺參／刺参 (cìshēn)
參湯／参汤 (shēntāng)
土參／土参

沙參／沙参 (shāshēn)
泡參／泡参 (pàoshēn)
海參／海参 (hǎishēn)
海參崴／海参崴 (Hǎishēnwǎi)
玄參／玄参 (xuánshēn)

粉光參／粉光参
苦參／苦参 (kǔshēn)
血參／血参
西洋參／西洋参 (xīyángshēn)
高麗參／高丽参 (gāolíshēn)

Etymology 3

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		叄㕘叅

(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

Mandarin
(Pinyin): cān (can¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄘㄢ
Cantonese (Jyutping): caam¹, cam¹
Min Dong (BUC): chăng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): chham
(Teochew, Peng'im): cam¹ / cang¹
Wu (Wiktionary): tshoe (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: cān
  - Zhuyin: ㄘㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: can
  - Wade–Giles: tsʻan¹
  - Yale: tsān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsan
  - Palladius: цань (canʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰän⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: caam¹, cam¹
  - Yale: chāam, chām
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsaam¹, tsam¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: cam¹, cem¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaːm⁵⁵/, /t͡sʰɐm⁵⁵/

Note: cam1 - rare.

Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: chăng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chham
  - Tâi-lô: tsham
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zhafm
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sʰam⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰam³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sʰam⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰam⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰam⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: cam¹ / cang¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsham / tshang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰam³³/, /t͡sʰaŋ³³/

Note: cang1 - Chenghai.

Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: tshoe (T1)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø⁵³/

Middle Chinese: /t͡sʰʌm/

Rime
Character	參
Reading #	3/5
Initial (聲)	清 (14)
Final (韻)	覃 (159)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	倉含切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡sʰʌm/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡sʰəm/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡sʰɒm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡sʰəm/
Li Rong	/t͡sʰᴀm/
Wang Li	/t͡sʰɒm/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡sʰăm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	cān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	caam¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[tsʰ]ˤ[u]m/
(Zhengzhang): /*sʰluːm/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	參
Reading #	1/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	cān
Middle Chinese	‹ tshom ›
Old Chinese	/*[tsʰ]ˁ[u]m/
English	accumulate
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	參
Reading #	1/5
No.	1081
Phonetic component	參
Rime group	侵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	參
Old Chinese	/*sʰluːm/

Definitions

參

^† three objects in a group
^† to pair up
^† to equate
(Min Nan) to mix
^† to be spread out; to be displayed
to join
to study; to discuss; to understand
^† to inspect and verify
^† to face
^† to greet
to refer; to consult
to visit; to pay one's respect to
to impeach
^† high
^† a unit of weight
^† Alternative form of 驂／骖 (cān).

Compounds

Derived terms from 參

免參／免参
內參／内参
公眾參與／公众参与
利弊參半／利弊参半
功過參半／功过参半
參事／参事 (cānshì)
參伍／参伍
參佐／参佐 (cānzuǒ)
參假／参假
參前落後／参前落后
參加／参加 (cānjiā)
參劾／参劾 (cānhé)
參半／参半 (cānbàn)
參同契／参同契
參堂／参堂
參場／参场
參天／参天 (cāntiān)
參孫／参孙 (Cānsūn)
參將／参将
參展／参展 (cānzhǎn)
參度／参度
參悟／参悟 (cānwù)
參戰／参战 (cānzhàn)
參拜／参拜 (cānbài)
參政／参政 (cānzhèng)
參政權／参政权
參數／参数 (cānshù)
參朝／参朝
參本／参本

參校／参校 (cānjiào)
參照／参照 (cānzhào)
參看／参看 (cānkàn)
參知政事／参知政事
參破／参破
參禪／参禅 (cānchán)
參綜／参综
參考／参考 (cānkǎo)
參考書／参考书 (cānkǎoshū)
參與／参与 (cānyù)
參見／参见 (cānjiàn)
參觀／参观 (cānguān)
參訂／参订 (cāndìng)
參話頭／参话头
參詳／参详 (cānxiáng)
參請／参请
參謀／参谋 (cānmóu)
參謁／参谒 (cānyè)
參譚／参谭
參議／参议 (cānyì)
參議會／参议会
參議院／参议院 (cānyìyuàn)
參賽／参赛 (cānsài)
參贊／参赞 (cānzàn)
參軍／参军 (cānjūn)
參透／参透 (cāntòu)
參選／参选 (cānxuǎn)
參酌／参酌 (cānzhuó)

參閱／参阅 (cānyuè)
參雜／参杂
參靈／参灵
參革／参革
參預／参预
參頭／参头
參驗／参验 (cānyàn)
同參／同参
喝參／喝参
形名參同／形名参同
憂喜參半／忧喜参半
打參／打参
拔地參天／拔地参天
放參／放参 (fàngcān)
早參／早参
晚參／晚参
晨參暮省／晨参暮省
晨參暮禮／晨参暮礼
暮禮晨參／暮礼晨参
朝參暮禮／朝参暮礼
毀譽參半／毁誉参半 (huǐyùcānbàn)
疑信參半／疑信参半
筆參造化／笔参造化
聯合參謀／联合参谋
說參請／说参请
違紀參選／违纪参选
飽參／饱参
魚頭參政／鱼头参政

Etymology 4

trad.		參/叁
simp.		叁

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): sān (san¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ
Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹
Wu (Wiktionary): se (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sān
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: san
  - Wade–Giles: san¹
  - Yale: sān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: san
  - Palladius: сань (sanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: saam¹
  - Yale: sāam
  - Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: sam¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: se (T1)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /se̞⁵³/

Middle Chinese: /sɑm/

Rime
Character	參
Reading #	4/5
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	談 (143)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	蘇甘切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/sɑm/
Pan Wuyun	/sɑm/
Shao Rongfen	/sɑm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sam/
Li Rong	/sɑm/
Wang Li	/sɑm/
Bernard Karlgren	/sɑm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	saam¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*s.rum/
(Zhengzhang): /*sloːm/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	參
Reading #	3/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	sān
Middle Chinese	‹ sam ›
Old Chinese	/s.rum/ (s.r- > s-; infl. by 四 *s-?)
English	three
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	參
Reading #	3/5
No.	1094
Phonetic component	參
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	三
Old Chinese	/*sloːm/

Definitions

參

(financial) Alternative form of 三 (sān, “three”).
- 君子博學而日參省乎己 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  君子博学而日参省乎己 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE
  jūnzǐ bó xué ér rì sān xǐng hū jǐ [Pinyin]
  The gentleman learns broadly and examines himself thrice daily

Compounds

參兩／参两

參夷／参夷

參會／参会 (sānhuì)

Etymology 5

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		叄㕘叅

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

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): cēn (cen¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄘㄣ
Cantonese (Jyutping): caam¹, cam¹
Min Nan (POJ): chhim / chham / chherm
Wu (Wiktionary): tshen (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: cēn
  - Zhuyin: ㄘㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: cen
  - Wade–Giles: tsʻên¹
  - Yale: tsēn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsen
  - Palladius: цэнь (cɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰən⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: caam¹, cam¹
  - Yale: chāam, chām
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsaam¹, tsam¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: cam¹, cem¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaːm⁵⁵/, /t͡sʰɐm⁵⁵/

Note: cam1 - rare.

Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhim
  - Tâi-lô: tshim
  - Phofsit Daibuun: chym
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡ɕʰim⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chham
  - Tâi-lô: tsham
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zhafm
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sʰam⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chherm
  - Tâi-lô: tsherm
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰəm³³/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: tshen (T1)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰəɲ⁵³/

Middle Chinese: /t͡ʃʰˠiɪm/

Rime
Character	參
Reading #	2/5
Initial (聲)	初 (19)
Final (韻)	侵 (140)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	楚簪切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ʃʰˠiɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈ͡ʂʰᵚim/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ʃʰiem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈ͡ʂʰjim/
Li Rong	/t͡ʃʰjəm/
Wang Li	/t͡ʃʰĭĕm/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʈ͡ʂʰi̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chēn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cam¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[tsʰr][u]m/
(Zhengzhang): /*sʰrum/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	參
Reading #	2/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	cēn
Middle Chinese	‹ tsrhim ›
Old Chinese	/*[tsʰr][u]m/
English	參差 tsrhim.tsrhje uneven
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	參
Reading #	4/5
No.	1103
Phonetic component	參
Rime group	侵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	嵾
Old Chinese	/*sʰrum/
Notes	同嵾

Definitions

參

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

Compounds

參差／参差 (cēncī)
參差不齊／参差不齐 (cēncībùqí)

參錯／参错 (cēncuò)

玉參差／玉参差

Etymology 6

trad.		參
simp.		参
alternative forms		慘／惨䟃／𫎺

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Taishan, Wiktionary): tam²

Cantonese
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: tam²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰam⁵⁵/

Definitions

參

(Siyi Cantonese) clever; capable; competent; powerful

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 聰明 (“clever; intelligent; smart; bright”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		聰明, 伶俐, 聰敏, 聰穎
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		聰明, 機靈, 伶俐, 聰敏, 聰穎, 聰慧
Mandarin	Beijing	聰明
	Taiwan	聰明
	Jinan	聰明
	Xi'an	靈, 靈醒
	Wuhan	聰明
	Chengdu	精靈, 聰明
	Guilin	聰明
	Yangzhou	聰明
	Hefei	聰明
	Malaysia	聰明
	Singapore	聰明
Cantonese	Guangzhou	聰明, 醒, 醒目, 叻, 精
	Hong Kong	聰明, 醒, 醒目, 叻, 精
	Taishan	聰明, 叻, 參
	Kaiping (Chikan)	叻
	Yangjiang	伶俐, 叻
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	精, 扮𠮨
	Singapore (Guangfu)	聰明, 精, 叻, 醒目, 扮𠮨
Gan	Nanchang	精靈, 聰明
Hakka	Meixian	聰明, 機靈
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	聰明
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	聰明
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	聰明
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	聰明, 精
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	聰明, 精
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	聰明
	Kuching (Hepo)	將
Jin	Taiyuan	機靈, 聰明
Min Bei	Jian'ou	聰明
Min Dong	Fuzhou	聰明
Min Nan	Xiamen	聰明
	Quanzhou	聰明, 骨鳥 derogatory
	Zhangzhou	聰明
	Taipei	聰明, 巧, 明白
	Singapore (Hokkien)	聰明, 𠢕, 勥, 醒目, 巧
	Manila (Hokkien)	巧, 勥, 𠢕
	Chaozhou	聰明
	Singapore (Teochew)	聰明
	Wenchang	精
	Singapore (Hainanese)	精
Wu	Suzhou	聰明
	Ningbo	聰明
	Wenzhou	靈, 聰明
Xiang	Changsha	靈泛, 聰明
Xiang	Shuangfeng	聰明

Etymology 7

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

Etymology 8

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

Japanese

Shinjitai	参
Kyūjitai	參

Kanji

參

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

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 t͡sʰʌm, “add; influence; join”).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	참 (Yale: chàm)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
Text	*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)

Pronunciation

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

Hanja

Wikisource參 (eumhun 참여할 참 (chamyeohal cham))

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

Compounds

고참 (古參, gocham)
동참 (同參, dongcham)
불참 (不參, bulcham)
신참 (新參, sincham)
지참 (持參, jicham)
참가 (參加, chamga)
참견 (參見, chamgyeon)
참고 (參考, chamgo)
참관 (參觀, chamgwan)
참모 (參謀, chammo)
참배 (參拜, chambae)
참여 (參與, chamyeo)
참전 (參戰, chamjeon)
참조 (參照, chamjo)
합참 (合參, hapcham)
참석 (參席, chamseok, “attendance”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC t͡ʃʰˠiɪm, “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)

Pronunciation

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

Hanja

參 (eumhun 들쭉날쭉할 참 (deuljjungnaljjukhal cham))

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

Compounds

참치 (參差, chamchi)
참착 (參錯, chamchak)

Etymology 3

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC ʃˠiɪm, “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)

Pronunciation

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

Hanja

參 (eumhun 별 이름 삼 (byeol ireum sam))

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

Compounds

삼수 (參宿, samsu)
삼상 (參商, samsang)
삼성 (參星, samseong)
삼례 (參禮, Samnye, “Samnye”)

Etymology 4

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

Hanja

參 (eumhun 석 삼 (seok sam))

(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

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