DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

參考

简参考 · 繁參考

Mandarin · pinyin cān kǎo

consultation
reference
to consult
to refer

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

參: Look up this written character
考: kǎo · examine, test; investigate
参: cān · take part in, intervene; ginseng; 21st lunar mansion, determinative star ζ Orionis (Alnitak)

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–3 · can1 kao3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

2character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

參考 · find source passages ↗ · 参考 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

caam1 haau2

Cantonese word readings for 參考. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to reference; to consult; to refer to
to take an examination
refer also to; see

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack