参 (cān) is a Chinese character meaning “to take part in”. It is written from 厶 (private component) and 大 (big) and 彡 (three slanting strokes (bristles, hair, light or pattern)), and takes 8 strokes. It has a second reading, shēn, which turns up in 人参 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to take part”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
厶 + 大 + 彡
Top–middle–bottom structure
- 厶 private component · sī unknown
- 大 big · dà unknown
- 彡 three slanting strokes (bristles, hair, light or pattern) · shān unknown
Structure from: modern-shape decomposition (IDS ⿳厶大彡)，按 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺分组核对：厶 2 笔 + 大 3 笔 + 彡 3 笔 = 8 笔
Memory aid
Picture a big person (大) with a small private badge (厶) pinned above the head and three ribbons (彡) streaming below: that is someone who has joined in and is taking part.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 参加cān jiāto take part in; to join参 = cān
- 参与cān yùto participate参 = cān
- 参谋cān móustaff officer; to give advice参 = cān
Go deeper
All readings
to take part
to take part in; to join; to participate; to consult or refer to
加入某种活动或组织；也表示参考、参照。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 参加cān jiāto take part in; to join参 = cān
- 参与cān yùto participate参 = cān
- 参谋cān móustaff officer; to give advice参 = cān
ginseng
ginseng (only in plant names such as 人参)
指人参等药用植物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 人参rén shēnginseng参 = shēn
Rare readings, not taught: cēn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 参 mean?
参 (cān) means to take part in; to join; to participate; to consult or refer to.
How do you pronounce 参?
Its main reading is cān. It also has a second reading, shēn, which only shows up in certain words such as 人参 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 参 sometimes pronounced shēn?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 人参 it is read shēn.
What parts is 参 made of?
厶 (private component) and 大 (big) and 彡 (three slanting strokes (bristles, hair, light or pattern)). The recorded source is: modern-shape decomposition (IDS ⿳厶大彡)，按 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺分组核对：厶 2 笔 + 大 3 笔 + 彡 3 笔 = 8 笔. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 参 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 参?
厶. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 参?
Common ones are 参加 and 参与. The reading of 参 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.