參 meaning and stroke order
To take part in, to intervene; ginseng
How to write 參, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 參
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- three (banker's anti-fraud numeral)
- to take part in
- to participate
- to join
- to attend
- to counsel
- unequal
- ginseng
- one of the 28 constellations
- used in 參差|参差[cen1 ci1]
How 參 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character.
彡 hints at the sound.
Radical: 厶 (private), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 參
Picture three small 厶 shapes at the top (厽) like three heads, a person 人 in the middle, and the strokes 彡 at the bottom. Three people gathering together to join in helps you remember 參 (cān), to take part.
參 is the traditional form of 参 and mostly appears at the start of verbs about joining or taking part, such as 參加 (cānjiā) and 參觀 (cānguān). Example: 我想參加這個比賽。(Wǒ xiǎng cānjiā zhège bǐsài.) I want to take part in this competition.
Common mistake: Learners often read 參 as cān everywhere, but in 人參 (rénshēn, ginseng) it is shēn and in 參差 (cēncī, uneven) it is cēn. Also do not confuse 參加 (cānjiā, to attend or join an event) with 參與 (cānyù, to be involved in a process or decision).
Common words with 參
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 參加 | cānjiā | to participate; to take part; to join | HSK 2 |
| 參觀 | cānguān | to visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory); to tour; to look around | HSK 2 |
| 參與 | cānyù | to participate (in sth) | HSK 4 |
| 參考 | cānkǎo | consultation; reference | HSK 4 |
| 參賽 | cānsài | to compete; to take part in a competition | HSK 6 |
| 參展 | cānzhǎn | to exhibit at or take part in a trade show etc | HSK 6 |
| 參軍 | cānjūn | to join the army; (official title in imperial China) military adviser; aide-de-camp | HSK 7-9 |
| 參謀 | cānmóu | staff officer; to give advice | HSK 7-9 |
| 參見 | cānjiàn | to refer to; see also | HSK 7-9 |
| 參照 | cānzhào | to consult a reference; to refer to (another document) | HSK 7-9 |
| 參議員 | cānyìyuán | senator | |
| 參議院 | cānyìyuàn | senate; upper chamber (of legislative assembly) | |
| 參選 | cānxuǎn | to be a candidate in an election or other selection process; to run for office | |
| 參戰 | cānzhàn | to go to war; to engage in war |
Characters that contain 參
Learning 參 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 參
How many strokes are in 參?
參 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 參 mean?
參 (cān) means to take part in, to intervene; ginseng. A common word with it is 参加 (cānjiā), meaning "to participate; to take part; to join".
How do you pronounce 參?
參 is pronounced cān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 參?
The radical of 參 is 厶, which carries the idea of "private". Dictionaries list 參 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 參?
參 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 叁 and 参, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 參 and 参?
They are the same character. 參 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and 参 is the simplified form used in mainland China.
Why is 參 sometimes used to write the number three?
In banking and on checks, 參 (sān) can replace 三 because 三 is easy to alter by adding strokes. Today the more common anti-fraud form for three is 叁.