DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

參

简叁 · 参 · 繁參

Mandarin · pinyin sān#

three (banker's anti-fraud numeral)

Mandarin · pinyin cān#

Mandarin · pinyin cēn#

used in 參差 cēn cī

Mandarin · pinyin shēn#

ginseng
one of the 28 constellations

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Characters in this entry

參: Look up this written character
叁: sān · bank form of numeral 'three'

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

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Mandarin tones

1 · san1

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1character link11same-tone records

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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 · find source passages ↗ · 叁 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 15 senses · 4 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

caam1 · cam1 · saam1 · sam1

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

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

character · Etymology 1

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

character · Etymology 2

ginseng or any other similar plant
(abbreviation, alt-of) short for 海參／海参 (hǎishēn, “sea cucumber”)

character · Etymology 3

to join; to take part
to consult
(literary) to examine; to inspect
(literary) to investigate and understand
to pay visit to a superior
(historical) to impeach an official before the emperor
(literary) to form a trio with two other things

character · Etymology 4

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

character · Etymology 5

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

character · Etymology 6

(Siyi Yue) clever; capable; competent; powerful

character · Etymology 7

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

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

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