Category Chinese Idioms Dictionary

Author: Wang Qin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1988-11-01
Features: Chinese idioms are treasures in the Chinese vocabulary. They are concise in language, rigorous in structure, profound in meaning, and rich in expressiveness. A well-used idiom can enhance the color of language and the brilliance of writing. They are expressive tools favored by the masses across generations, widely used in both spoken and written language. Chinese idioms are diverse and abundant. For those well-read and knowledgeable, using idioms comes effortlessly. However, for the general public, especially for or those with a moderate level of education, accurately expressing certain thoughts or emotions with an idiom may pose some difficulties. This is because they may lack the idiom that precisely conveys the intended meaning or find it hard to locate it in a general idiom dictionary. To help readers overcome such difficulties and provide convenience for writing or speaking, we have categorized thousands of idioms based on their meanings and compiled this meaning-based Chinese idiom dictionary. Readers can quickly find the desired idiom in a specific category within the dictionary by searching for the meaning they wish to express.
In addition to the above functions, this dictionary has the following features:
1. The idioms grouped within each item (excluding the "Other" category) are mostly those with similar or identical meanings. The differences in their meanings are often subtle. There are variations in weight (e.g., "" vs. ""), focus (e.g., "" vs. ""), color (emotional and stylistic connotations) (e.g., "" vs. "," "" vs. ""), and applicability (e.g., "" vs. ""). On one hand, this reflects the richness and precision of Chinese idiom meanings; on the other hand, it highlights the need to use idioms cautiously, as careful consideration is required to avoid errors. This dictionary provides abundant material for selecting idioms to accurately convey thoughts and emotions.
2. The synonymous idioms grouped within each item exhibit variations in linguistic form (phonetic and written form). This offers the opportunity to use idioms to express similar or identical meanings while ensuring the beauty of varied linguistic forms.
3. This dictionary aids in accumulating and enriching vocabulary, creating conditions for expanding creativity and improving writing and speaking skills. If readers frequently consult this dictionary, familiarize themselves with the idioms in each category, and make comparative analyses from form to meaning, they can quickly expand their vocabulary and enhance their writing and speaking abilities.
4. This dictionary is organized by meaning categories. If readers are looking for unfamiliar idioms, they can quickly locate them in the dictionary using the phonetic index based on the first character of the idiom. Thus, this dictionary serves the same function as general idiom dictionaries arranged by phonetic order or stroke order.
This dictionary was compiled by Wang Qin, Ma Guofan, Xu Zhengyuan, and Sun Yuzhen. The entire work was organized, edited, and finalized by Wang Qin. Compiling such a dictionary is a new attempt for us. It is inevitable that there may be omissions or inaccuracies, and we sincerely welcome criticism and corrections from experts and readers.
Compilers
October 1986
Table of Contents Explanation
Preface
Meaning Index
Phonetic Index
Explanation of Phonetic Index
Main Body
Editorial Note: Chinese idioms are treasures in the Chinese vocabulary. They are concise in language, rigorous in structure, profound in meaning, and rich in expressiveness. A well-used idiom can enhance the color of language and the brilliance of writing. They are expressive tools favored by the masses across generations, widely used in both spoken and written language. Chinese idioms are diverse and abundant. For those well-read and knowledgeable, using idioms comes effortlessly. However, for the general public, especially for or those with a moderate level of education, accurately expressing certain thoughts or emotions with an idiom may pose some difficulties. This is because they may lack the idiom that precisely conveys the intended meaning or find it hard to locate it in a general idiom dictionary. To help readers overcome such difficulties and provide convenience for writing or speaking, we have categorized thousands of idioms based on their meanings and compiled this meaning-based Chinese idiom dictionary. Readers can quickly find the desired idiom in a specific category within the dictionary by searching for the meaning they wish to express.
In addition to the above functions, this dictionary has the following features:
1. The idioms grouped within each item (excluding the "Other" category) are mostly those with similar or identical meanings. The differences in their meanings are often subtle. There are variations in weight (e.g., "" vs. ""), focus (e.g., "" vs. ""), color (emotional and stylistic connotations) (e.g., "" vs. "," "" vs. ""), and applicability (e.g., "" vs. ""). On one hand, this reflects the richness and precision of Chinese idiom meanings; on the other hand, it highlights the need to use idioms cautiously, as careful consideration is required to avoid errors. This dictionary provides abundant material for selecting idioms to accurately convey thoughts and emotions.
2. The synonymous idioms grouped within each item exhibit variations in linguistic form (phonetic and written form). This offers the opportunity to use idioms to express similar or identical meanings while ensuring the beauty of varied linguistic forms.
3. This dictionary aids in accumulating and enriching vocabulary, creating conditions for expanding creativity and improving writing and speaking skills. If readers frequently consult this dictionary, familiarize themselves with the idioms in each category, and make comparative analyses from form to meaning, they can quickly expand their vocabulary and enhance their writing and speaking abilities.
4. This dictionary is organized by meaning categories. If readers are looking for unfamiliar idioms, they can quickly locate them in the dictionary using the phonetic index based on the first character of the idiom. Thus, this dictionary serves the same function as general idiom dictionaries arranged by phonetic order or stroke order.
This dictionary was compiled by Wang Qin, Ma Guofan, Xu Zhengyuan, and Sun Yuzhen. The entire work was organized, edited, and finalized by Wang Qin. Compiling such a dictionary is a new attempt for us. It is inevitable that there may be omissions or inaccuracies, and we sincerely welcome criticism and corrections from experts and readers.
Compilers
October 1986