Meaning of 词典
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- dictionary
Measure word: 本,部
How to use 词典
词典 is the everyday word for a dictionary of words and phrases, whether a printed book or an app. You usually say 查词典 (chá cídiǎn) for looking something up. Example: 我不认识这个字，查一下词典吧。(Wǒ bú rènshi zhège zì, chá yíxià cídiǎn ba.) I don't know this character, let me look it up in the dictionary.
词 (cí) means word, and 典 (diǎn) means a standard reference work, the same 典 you see in 经典 (jīngdiǎn, classics). A 词典 is the reference book you open to look up words.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 词典 (cídiǎn) and 字典 (zìdiǎn). A 字典 lists single characters, while a 词典 lists words and phrases, so an English-Chinese dictionary is a 词典, not a 字典.
词典 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
词 cí · word · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
典 diǎn · law · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 词典.
| 字典 | zìdiǎn | Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a |
| 词语 | cíyǔ | word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical |
| 生词 | shēngcí | new word (in textbook); word that is unfamiliar or not yet studied |
| 经典 | jīngdiǎn | the classics; scriptures |
| 典型 | diǎnxíng | model; typical case |
| 词汇 | cíhuì | vocabulary; list of words (e.g. for language teaching purposes) |
| 典礼 | diǎnlǐ | ceremony; celebration |
| 辞典 | cídiǎn | variant of 詞典|词典[ci2 dian3] |
| 歌词 | gēcí | song lyric; lyrics |
| 古典 | gǔdiǎn | classical |
| 庆典 | qìngdiǎn | celebration |
| 典范 | diǎnfàn | model; example |
Questions about 词典
What does 词典 mean?
词典 (cídiǎn) means "dictionary" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 词典?
词典 is made of 2 characters: 词 (7 strokes), 典 (8 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 词典 an HSK word?
Yes. 词典 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 词典 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 词典 is written 詞典.
Is 辞典 the same as 词典?
Yes, 辞典 (cídiǎn) is a variant written with 辞 and is pronounced the same. It appears in some book titles, but 词典 is the more common everyday form.
What verb do you use with 词典?
The most common verb is 查 (chá), as in 查词典, meaning to look up in a dictionary. You can also say 用词典 (yòng cídiǎn), to use a dictionary. The measure word for a printed dictionary is 本 (běn), as in 一本词典.