Chinese Language Usage Example Dictionary

Author: Liu Chuanping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: In recent years, with the increasing number of people learning Chinese worldwide, the demand for learning aids—dictionaries—has also grown. The Chinese Usage Example Dictionary was compiled to meet this trend. Unlike other published dictionaries of a similar nature, this dictionary caters to the specific needs of its user group, with a prominent feature being the provision of a large number of example sentences for word usage. Additionally, efforts have been made in other aspects to enhance practicality. The following are its key characteristics:
1. Rich and Practical Example Sentences: This is the core focus and main part of the dictionary. Adhering to the principle that learning words is for application and that words can only be truly mastered through application, each entry and its definitions are accompanied by several practical examples.
2. Focus on Common Words: The scope of entries in this dictionary includes:
① Words from the Outline of Chinese Proficiency Vocabulary and Character Grades (Office of the National Chinese Proficiency Test Committee, Testing Center), but excluding some very uncommon words, such as "magnesium," "rice," and "bandits."
② Nearly 300 new words with high usage frequency and relative stability, such as "percentage point," "supermarket," "brand," "love," and "weight loss."
③ Some commonly used or highly versatile characters.
④ Over 300 commonly used idioms. The total number of entries is approximately 10,000. Additionally, entries with multiple definitions only include one definition.
3. Concise and Accessible Definitions: Definitions are primarily based on The Modern Chinese Dictionary, but some simplifications and popularizations have been made to reduce comprehension difficulty.
4. Emphasis on Cultural Differences: Recognizing the impact of cultural differences between China and other countries on Chinese language learning, this dictionary has made efforts to bridge gaps:
- Word Selection: It includes words that are not difficult to understand in literal terms but require some background knowledge, such as "popular," "intrude," and "go into business." At the same time, it incorporates a batch of commonly used idioms rich in cultural connotations, such as "be blind to the world" and "close the stable after the horse has bolted."
- Cultural Information in Example Sentences: For example, the word "love" has different definitions, such as "Dad loves this only daughter," "Older people seem to love exercise more than younger people," "Don’t love face too much," "Old Zhang always loses at poker," "The car is there, ride or not, it doesn’t matter," and "The world is full of love." From these, one can gain insights into Chinese social life and cultural psychology.
- Cultural Knowledge in Appendices: The appendices provide supplementary introductions to cultural knowledge, such as China’s administrative divisions, ethnic groups, and major festivals.
5. Additional Information: To help readers better understand and use words, the dictionary provides various types of information, such as the nature of words, collocations of nouns and measure words, antonyms and synonyms, and word meaning distinctions for some entries. Additionally, each entry and its definitions are accompanied by a brief English translation.