Customer Reviews

Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation (Chinese Edition)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Things I like about the dictionary:

*Excellent definitions (the definitions in this book are some of the best I've read; they are accurate and really give the student a sense of what the particular Chinese word/character means)

*Example sentences/phrases with Pinyin (unlike the Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary (ISBN 0195911512) which does NOT have Pinyin for its example sentences/phrases, this one does, with English translation as well; this if very helpful when one wants to see how the character/word is used)

*Comprehensive (according to the dictionary itself, the work contain over 10,000 characters; but this is not for the scholar of Chinese, for as the preface states, "The dictionary is a small-sized reference book for learning Chinese, chiefly for teachers and students in primary schools and middle schools, and for intermediate-educated readers as well.")

*The original Chinese text is included (this is actually a translation of an actual Chinese dictionary)

Things I don't like about this book:

*All the definitions under the head character is in one paragraph (unlike the Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary (ISBN 0195911512) which list each character combinations of a particular character on separate line, this dictionary does not. Thus, all the information is in one paragraph, making it rather difficult to find the character combination (i.e., the word) one is looking for)

*Lack of some character combination (perhaps because the book is a translation of an actual Chinese dictionary, it does not include some important character combinations; this is very unfortunate, for it is an excellent dictionary overall)

This dictionary and the Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary (ISBN 0195911512) are an excellent combination.

I am just starting the study of Mandarin Chinese with traditional characters.

I just wish to emphasize what a previous reviewer correctly said: this dictionary is based on simplfied characters, as used in mainland China and Singapore. The radical and character index tables list the characters according to the number of strokes in the simplified character forms. The traditional characters are listed in each entry, but it is not easy to find them if you don't know the pinyin pronunciation or the simplified form. The radical table also has cross-reference entries for the traditional forms of the radicals, but this only helps a little.

The other version of this dictionary, Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation, published by Commercial Press, Hong Kong, ISBN 9620702530, is almost the same product, but based on traditional characters, as used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many expatriate communities. Its radical and character index tables list the characters by the number of strokes in the traditional character, with the simplified character listed in the entry if there is one. The radical table in this version has cross-reference entries for the simplified forms of the radicals. And as the previous reviewer said, this version has nicer printing and binding.

I purchased both, but you may not need both, depending on your own requirements.

I have found this book to be very helpful because it has what many Chinese dictionaries do not have: a breakdown of every Chinese character into its "zhuyin" form. Most dictionaries limit their pronunciations to just the "pinyin." However, in order to pronounce the words as accurate as possible, it is best to use the "zhuyin" form. Knowing the "zhuyin" form will also help if you ever need to look up a word in a Chinese dictionary according to its pronunciation. Every word in this book is alphabatized by its "pinyin," but it lists each word's Chinese character first, then the "pinyin," and then its "zhuyin." One minor thing about the book is how it lists the simplified characters. In most cases it provides the traditional form, but I would prefer it list the traditional characters first. The print is not too small and easy to read. If you need to look up the definition of a Chinese word, then this is a great resource for looking it up using English letters.

Good points:

1. You can look up a word by either pinyin, radical, or number of strokes.
2. There are lots of obscure characters in this dictionary that you don't find in most others. For example, some characters have been invented to correspond to the name of some single, particular place. Also they have characters like "'," which is meant to be "greenish black."
3. There is Zhuyin notation (used nowhere else in the world except Taiwan).
4. Both simplified and traditional characters are in this book.
5. Appendices that have things such as dynasty dates and measurements and the Periodic Table.

Bad points:

1. The obscure characters here are nice (=neat little oddities), but it seems like a lot of space is taken with words that no one uses.
2. The organization of the definitions is not as nice as the Martin Manser dictionary. So, the Manser-style would be to have character X, and then subheadings for X1, X2, X3....., where each subheading corresponded to a new word. Under the subheading would be a (1)pinyin with tone marks for both of the characters; (2) sometimes a sample sentence for using the word. There is *something* like that in this dictionary, but it is just not as clear.

Overall, this dictionary is useful mainly for its expansion of obscure characters. It's definitely just a translation of the Xinhua Dictionary, and not meant for beginning students of the language.

i got this for my son who wants to go to china. he is pleased and is starting to speak a little of the language already. good book.