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参加 (cān jiā) — to participate, to take part, to join

Definition

参加 is the everyday word for joining an activity, event, or competition. Use 加入 for becoming a member of an organization, and 出席 for formally attending a meeting.

verb
to participateto take partto join

Examples

  • 参加？
    Nǐ cān jiā míng tiān de huó dòng ma?
    Are you joining tomorrow's event?
  • 参加。
    Tā cān jiā le xué xiào de lán qiú duì.
    He joined the school's basketball team.
  • 参加。
    Wǒ xiǎng cān jiā zhè ge bǐ sài.
    I want to participate in this competition.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

参cānjoin
加jiāadd

参 and 加 both carry the sense of joining or adding, so together they mean to take part in something.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 參; 参 is its simplified writing.

For simplified 参, the story belongs to traditional 參, which combines 晶 (stars), 光 (light), and 彡 (rays) to show the Three Stars; one reading takes 光 as a kneeling person looking up.

Open 参 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 31000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsGroups & Organizations2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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