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参考 (cān kǎo) — to consult, to refer to

Definition

参考 means to consult or refer to sources (books, data, standards) — broader than 查 (just looking something up) and more about drawing on material than discussing with people (商量, 咨询).

verb
to consultto refer to

Examples

  • 参考。
    Xiě lùn wén de shí hou nǐ xū yào cān kǎo hěn duō zī liào.
    When writing a thesis, you need to consult a lot of materials.
  • 参考。
    Zhè běn cí diǎn hěn yǒu cān kǎo jià zhí.
    This dictionary has great reference value.
  • 参考。
    Qǐng cān kǎo yí xià zuì xīn de tǒng jì jié guǒ.
    Please refer to the latest statistical results.

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cānrefer
考kǎoexamine

“参” means refer, “考” means examine; together they mean to consult or refer to 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.

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

  • 耂耂lǎoan old man with long hair, bent over
  • 丂丂kǎoa walking cane

In 考, the upper 耂 is an old man with long hair, bent over, and the lower 丂 is a walking cane.

Open 考 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Thinking & Cognition

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