Great Dictionary of Chinese (Pocket Edition)

Author: Wan Zhiwen, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-09-01
Features: The Great Chinese Dictionary (Hanyu Da Zidian) collects the essence of ancient and modern Chinese linguistic and textual research and stands as a milestone in the history of Chinese lexicography in China. With its key features of being "comprehensive and extensive" and "incorporating both ancient and modern knowledge while emphasizing origins and development," it has distinguished itself among the world's dictionaries, receiving widespread acclaim and praise from readers and the academic community. To serve a broader readership, following the publication of the main edition (eight volumes), the abridged edition, and the concise edition, we have now launched the pocket edition. The pocket edition, in contrast to the grand eight-volume main edition, contains over 3.5 million characters, only one-fifth of the main edition's total of 20 million. The main edition is in 16-page format, eight volumes, while the pocket edition is in 32-page format, a single volume. The pocket edition focuses on accessibility and practicality. On one hand, it retains all the character entries and their pronunciations and meanings from the main edition, fully meeting the needs of readers seeking to clarify doubts when reading ancient and modern works. On the other hand, it omits overly complex content. Building on the achievements of the main edition and the concise edition, it further standardizes character forms, adjusts character sequences, corrects errors, and improves the search function. Moreover, all explanations and examples use simplified characters. All these efforts aim to make the pocket edition affordable, usable, and easily searchable for a wide audience. We hope that the pocket edition will enter the homes of ordinary people, becoming a valuable teacher and helpful companion in their studies.