参政 (cān zhèng) — to participate in politics, to take part in political affairs

Definition

Refers specifically to participating in or engaging with political and government affairs. Related to but broader than 投票 (voting) — covers running for office, attending political meetings, and civic involvement.

verb
to participate in politics, to take part in political affairs

Examples

  • 参政。
    Gōng mín yǒu quán cān zhèng.
    Citizens have the right to participate in politics.
  • ，。
    Tā cān le èr shí nián de zhèng, jīng yàn hěn fēng fù.
    He has participated in politics for twenty years and has rich experience.
  • 。
    Zhè cì huì yì gǔ lì gèng duō nián qīng rén cān zhèng.
    This conference encourages more young people to participate in politics.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

参cānparticipate
政zhèngpolitics

To 参 in 政, taking part in political affairs.

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pūaction
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng政zhèng
Same sound today

政 combines 正, which gives the sound, with 攴, an action-related part.

Open 政 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.