Xinhua zidian, Xinhua cidian

Dictionaries

Both zidian and cidian may translated as ‘dictionary’. A zidian, however, lists single-characters as entries only, while a cidian lists multi-character words and phrases as sub-entries under a single-character entry.

(1998, rev. ed.) Xinhua zidian [Xinhua Dictionary] (Beijing: Commercial Press). With just over 10,000 characters, this was the only standard dictionary in the PRC for two decades. Most Chinese families have at least one copy. Between 1957 and 1998, nine editions and over a hundred printings were published. Some 400 million copies have been distributed since its first edition. Though small in size, it has nine useful appendices, and is especially good in indicating characters belonging to complex characters or which categories of variants are defined in the PRC. This is a feature that other authoritative dictionaries lack. It is very useful for anyone who deals with different groups of characters.

Yi Ken’ichiro, Dong Jingru and Yamada Runko (1999). Xinhua zidian Hanyu pinyin ban [Xinhua Dictionary: Hanyu Pinyin Edition] (Taiyuan: Shanxi Education Press). Two Japanese and a Chinese scholar romanized all characters in the definitions and examples based on the original editions of 1979 and 1992.

Yao Naiqiang et al. (2000). Ying-Han shuangjie Xinhua zidian [Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation]. Beijing: Commercial. Everything in the 1998 edition is kept, including the Zhuyin fuhao (National Phonetic Symbols) next to pinyin in the entry, and is translated. Pinyin is added to all examples under the definitions, a useful function for learners.

(2001, rev. ed.) Xinhua cidian [Xinhua Word Dictionary] (Beijing: Commercial.) This is mainly a language dictionary of 47,231 compound-words, but is also a compact encyclopedia. The third edition has sixteen appendices and lists all variant characters clearly, a weak point of the Xiandai Hanyu cidian [Modern Chinese Dictionary].

HELEN XIAOYAN WU