参

See also: 參, 叁, and 薓

参 U+53C2, 参 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-53C2 ← 叁 [U+53C1] CJK Unified Ideographs 參 → [U+53C3]

Translingual

Stroke order

Japanese	参
Simplified	参
Traditional	參

Han character

参 (Kangxi radical 28, 厶+6, 8 strokes, cangjie input 戈大竹竹竹 (IKHHH), composition ⿱⿱厶大彡)

Derived characters

• 㡎 掺 椮 渗 碜 䅟 糁 鯵/鲹 黪 毶 毵 瘆 㟥
• 𫢺 𫮅 𡞋 𫶅 𬌷 𬢳/𬤄 𬥞 𮠳 𨨕/𬭝 𬯊 𬳯/骖 𠬊 𫎺 𡳔 𫤯 𬱬 𪠟 𪠡 𥮾 𫕨 𩭹
• 𰄁 𰄶 𰇼 𰇁 𰞷 𰴂 𰬪 𰸙 𱐠
• 惨 𦲞

References

• KangXi: not present, would follow page 164, character 21
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3090
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 386, character 15
• Unihan data for U+53C2

Chinese

Glyph origin

Simplified from 參, which is in turn simplified from 曑.

Definitions

For pronunciation and definitions of 参 – see 參 (“Three Stars mansion; etc.”). (This character, 参, is the simplified form of 參.)

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Shinjitai	参
Kyūjitai	參

Kanji

参

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 參)

Readings

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC srim, “Three Stars mansion; carrot, ginseng”) and 參 (MC tsrhim, “jagged, uneven”):

• Go-on: しん (shin)^{←しん (sin, historical)←しむ (simu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: しん (shin)^{←しん (sin, historical)←しむ (simu, ancient)}
• Nanori: ほし (hoshi)

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

• Go-on: そん (son)^{←そん (son, historical)←そむ (somu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: さん (san, Jōyō)^{←さん (san, historical)←さむ (samu, ancient)}
• Kun: まいる (mairu, 参る, Jōyō)^{←まゐる (mawiru, 参る, historical)}; まじわる (majiwaru, 参わる)^{←まじはる (mazifaru, 参はる, historical)}
• Nanori: かず (kazu); ちか (chika); なか (naka); はかる (hakaru); みち (michi)

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC sam, “3, three”):

• Go-on: さん (san, Jōyō)^{←さん (san, historical)←さむ (samu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: さん (san, Jōyō)^{←さん (san, historical)←さむ (samu, ancient)}
• Kun: みつ (mitsu, 参つ); みっつ (mi'tsu, 参つ)
• Nanori: み (mi)

Compounds

• 苦参(クララ) (kurara)
• 海参(いりこ) (iriko)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
参
しん Grade: 4
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
參 (kyūjitai)

/ɕimʉ/ → /ɕiɴ/

The “Three Stars mansion” and “carrot, ginseng” senses are from Middle Chinese 參 (MC srim).

The “jagged, uneven” affix is from Middle Chinese 參 (MC tsrhim).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) し​ん [shíꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕĩɴ]

Affix

参(しん) • (shin) 

1. jagged, uneven
2. carrot, ginseng

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 参(しん)差(し) (shinshi)
• 苦(く)参(じん) (kujin)
• 玄(げん)参(じん) (genjin)
• 紫(し)参(じん) (shijin)
• 沙(しゃ)参(じん) (shajin)
• 独(どく)参(じん)湯(とう) (dokujintō)
• 人(にん)参(じん) (ninjin)
• バラモン参(ジン) (baramonjin)

Proper noun

参(しん) • (Shin) 

1. (Chinese astronomy) the Three Stars constellation, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions

   Synonyms: 参宿 (Shinshuku), 唐鋤星 (Karasuki-boshi)

Derived terms

• 参(しん)宿(しゅく) (Shinshuku)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
参
さん Grade: 4
kan’on

Alternative spelling
參 (kyūjitai)

/ɕamʉ/ → /samʉ/ → /saɴ/

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC tshom).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さ​ん [sáꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [sã̠ɴ]

Noun

参(さん) • (san) 

1. a calling, coming
2. (Zen Buddhism) a gathering of Zen members in meditation, preaching, and invocation

Derived terms

• 参(さん)する (sansuru)
• 参(さん)ずる (sanzuru), 参(さん)じる (sanjiru)

Affix

参(さん) • (san) 

1. check, verify
2. add, increase, join (a group, etc.)
3. go (for a specific purpose, for example)
4. Short for 参議院 (Sangiin): the House of Councillors (upper house of the Diet)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 参(さん)加(か) (sanka)
• 参(さん)賀(が) (sanga)
• 参(さん)画(かく) (sankaku)
• 参(さん)観(かん) (sankan)
• 参(さん)議(ぎ) (sangi)
• 参(さん)考(こう) (sankō)
• 参(さん)照(しょう) (sanshō)
• 参(さん)政(せい) (sansei)
• 参(さん)拝(ぱい) (sanpai)
• 参(さん)謀(ぼう) (sanbō)
• 参(さん)篭(ろう) (sanrō)
• 帰(き)参(さん) (kisan)
• 古(こ)参(さん) (kosan)
• 持(じ)参(さん) (jisan)
• 衆(しゅう)参(さん) (shūsan)
• 新(しん)参(ざん) (shinzan)
• 日(にっ)参(さん) (nissan)
• 墓(ぼ)参(さん) (bosan)

Proper noun

参(さん) • (San) 

1. (Chinese astronomy, rare) the Three Stars constellation, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions

   Synonyms: 参宿 (Sanshuku), 唐鋤星 (Karasuki-boshi)

2. a surname

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
参
さん Grade: 4
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
參 (kyūjitai)

/samʉ/ → /saɴ/

From Middle Chinese 參 (MC sam).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さん [sàń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [sã̠ɴ]

Numeral

参(さん) • (san) 

1. (law) Financial form of 三 (san): 3, three

Usage notes

This form of 3 is only used in legal documents.

Affix

参(さん) • (san) 

1. Alternative spelling of 三 (san): 3, three
2. Short for 三河国 (Mikawa-no-kuni): Mikawa Province

Derived terms

• 参(さん)州(しゅう) (Sanshū)