Oxford Beginner's Chinese Dictionary

A truly nice fresh approach. Excellent use of color. It isn't simply a dictionary. In the English-Chinese section there are many useful tables and teaching aids. For example: under "expression", at the end of the "E" words, is a page and a half of "Useful everyday expressions". under "have" is a whole page on how English expressions using the word "have" correspond with similar Chinese expressions under "measure" there is a page long table of length and weight measurements Often there are many examples of usage. Just after the table on measurements we have the word "meet". Several example usages are given. e.g. "she met him on the street" "have you met tom?" "can we meet next week" "can this meet your requirements" etc. I also has a well presented index and an appendix called "Learning and lifestyle kit" on subjects like "Dictionary Know How" - Chinese characters don't have an alphabetical order like the one I am accustomed to, so how does one arrange them in sequence? Very helpful and nicely presented. All I want, is to be able to communicate in Chinese. The finer points of fancy grammatical constructs and terminology are for a different category of learner. What a really neat (in both colloquial and traditional senses of the word) balance this publication achieves.

I am dismayed that some people gave this book a poor score for not being something that it doesn't claim to be. It is not a comprehensive Chinese/English Dictionary. As the title and cover state, it is a beginner's dictionary for first-time learners. It is primarily designed for the student to look up an English word and find the pinyin and characters and how to use them. I have completed my first year of college Chinese classes and could not have survived without this dictionary. The font is a bit bigger than other dictionaries which makes it easier to see all the parts of the characters. The dictionary includes example phrases and sentences which are invaluable for getting the grammar right. My Chinese teacher commented on my correct use of grammar and vocabulary in my writing and asked how I was doing it. I gave all the credit to this dictionary and when she looked at it, she recommended it to her other classes. For a new student learning Chinese the way it's being taught at universities, this is the best there is. (I've purchased 6 Chinese/English dictionaries. Some of the others cover a lot more vocabulary but this is by far the best for a new learner)

I'm self-studying Mandarin Chinese in preparation for an upcoming trip to China and purchased this dictionary as a supplement to the excellent Pimsleur Conversational Mandarin Chinese audio course. As most reviewers have said, it is a good book: well organized, reasonably complete for a visitor, excellent format, easy to use. By this I mean English - Chinese translations are shown in both Pinyin and 2 character formats as well as usage in a sentence or phrase. Chinese - English words are listed alphabetically using Pinyin. There's also lots of supplemental material like measures, numbers, etc. and even a section on basic rules for writing Chinese characters. This is all great and I would rate the book 5 stars if the authors had included another section on basic rules for pronunciation and speaking Mandarin Chinese. All it would have taken is 3 or 4 pages on the phonetics and tonal inflections for the Pinyin system which is used to represent the sounds of Chinese characters with western-style letters. It's not enough being able to look up a word if, once found, you're not sure how to say it. For those of you with iPhones and iPads, there's a good free series by "trainchinese" in the iTunes store. The base module has a large dictionary where you can save words and phrases into flash cards and use a pretty accurate audio feature to hear pronunciation. There are also free Pinyin, Numbers and Writing modules as well as a Common Word and Phrase library. The dictionary allows unlimited lookups and 10 flash cards / week for free. You can buy the feature to create additional flash cards but in either case, whatever you save is yours to keep.

When I started the Spring term this year of college I was excited to see that Chinese 111 was being taught; which is unusual since a lot 111 classes tend to start in the Fall. In taking the course, my professor Dr. Lee encouraged us all to buy this dictionary, so we will have access to more words and phrases that are unavailable in our text book and work book. This book in his words is the best book for all Chinese students; and it really has proved useful to me already. The book provides the student not only the basic English to Pin Ying, but it also give you Traditional and Simplified characters which are so very important to learn. If you are planning a trip to China, wanting to take a class in Chinese, watch martial art films without subtitles -- buy this book and begin your studies ASAP! (Readers will not gain insight and knowledge right off the bat without study. Understanding that in going to China that the characters are what you need to learn to read will help you even further. This book will not make you as good at fighting as Bruce Lee or Jet Li. Eating excessive amounts of Chinese food and having this book will not make you any more ready to hold a full conversation than playing World of Warcraft makes you ready for dating.)

It arrived so early so excited to use it 🙂‍↕️💕 received it in a very good condition so happy with it 🥹

I find that the features that supposedly make this a beginner's dictionary are superficial. To start, the examples are no clearer than those you get in the complete Oxford Chinese Dictionary. The grammar notes are sparse throughout the dictionary, so I don't feel that it benefited me as much as I was hoping. Then the "center of each dictionary is a section devoted to useful information on the country, countries, or regions where the language is spoken" has less information on these topics than the complete Oxford Chinese Dictionary. It's not that this wouldn't be useful, I just feel that you may as well get a complete dictionary. There's not enough instruction in this beginner's version to learn out of it on your own, and I feel that a complete dictionary would complement your class textbook just as well as this beginner's version.

We actually own four copies of this little dictionary as we've found it so helpful! The format is exceptional (Fei chang!) in that it provides easy readability even to those just getting started with chinese like us. The blue headings make the words stand off the page so they are easy to browse through. Also there are specialized topics spread throughout the dictionary which clarify some of the more complicated subjects. The many example sentences provide excellent usage tips rather than just a definition in a vacume. We only wish it were a larger dictionary with more words, though the majority of what we've needed, we've found. Fantastic little dictionary!

I speak a couple of languages and have struggled with Chinese for some time. Friends in China help me on the net and an audio course picks up some more slack. This dictionary, however, is a wonderful addition to my reference library, since it offers a range of useful words and phrases that are most likely to come up in everyday life in China, among the people who might not speak any English. In view of the fact that I learn by knowing certain sounds correspond to certain letters of the alphabet used in the west, the Pinyin provided alongside the simplified Chinese characters is an eminently sensible resource. I wish Oxford had a similar dictionary for the next level up, as I also bought the intermediate Chinese dictionary which, unfortunately, has no Pinyin and is actually meant for native Chinese speakers wishing to learn English. The beginner's Chinese dictionary is definitely my go-to dictionary and will probably never leave my side when I go there next year.

Um material muito útil para quem está dando os seus primeiros passos no Mandarim.

Dictionnaire correcte pour une première approche, cependant on cherche pas via les clefs et le niveau du vocabulaire est assez restreint. Le format est raisonnable et permet une mobilité correcte, attention au broché qui n'est pas très résistent, ajout de papier protecteur conseillé.

Übersichtliches Wörterbuch, das genau richtig ist für Chinesisch-Anfänger. Es ist nicht überladen, ausreichend groß gedruckt, dass man nicht überlegen muss, welcher Ton angegeben ist, und es gibt nützliche Erklärungen zu besonderen Themen sowie nützliche Beispielsätze für verschiedene Situationen. Das Format ist handlich und gut, wenn man es mitnehmen möchte.

と、上から申しましたが、私も中国語ビギナーなのです。 この辞書を購入した理由は一言、「安い」 中国人の友人が言うにはこの辞書の単語すべて覚えたら、「じゅうぶんだよ〜」とのこと ただし、いまでは使われていない単語もあるとのこと。それはどんな辞書にも言えますね。 文法については簡単な説明があります、丁寧ではないです。 しかし時制については「Be」のところに説明があったり、芸が細やか 覚えるべき単語や、数詞欄も掲載あります。例文は平易ではないでしょうか。 色々述べましたが、この辞書で一番驚愕したのは、中英・『英中』辞書であること...使えます...

As a parent of a sixteen-year-old daughter studying Chinese at a high school in Scotland, I have seen firsthand the challenges she faces in grasping the intricacies of the language. With two years of Chinese under her belt, she embarked on a journey of self-study at home to prepare for her exams. At the recommendation of her school teacher, we purchased the Oxford Beginner’s Chinese Dictionary, and it has proven to be an invaluable resource in her studies. One of the standout features of this dictionary is its user-friendly layout. The organization of the entries makes it easy for my daughter to navigate and quickly find the information she needs. Each character is accompanied by its pinyin pronunciation, meaning, and crucially, the stroke order of its radicals. This stroke order information has been particularly beneficial for my daughter as she can reinforce her understanding of character formation and stroke order, which are fundamental to mastering Chinese writing. Moreover, the inclusion of radicals and stroke order alongside each character has helped my daughter develop a deeper understanding of Chinese characters’ structure and meaning. By breaking down characters into their constituent parts, she has been able to deduce the meanings of unfamiliar words based on their radicals and context, thereby enhancing her vocabulary retention and comprehension. Another aspect that sets this dictionary apart is its comprehensive coverage of vocabulary suitable for beginners. It includes commonly used words and phrases that are relevant to everyday conversations and classroom learning. This breadth of vocabulary ensures that my daughter can find translations for a wide range of terms, from basic greetings to more complex expressions, allowing her to gradually expand her language proficiency. In addition to its content, the Oxford Beginner’s Chinese Dictionary also excels in its design and presentation. The clear font and layout, accompanied by illustrative examples and usage notes, enhance readability and comprehension. The inclusion of cultural insights and language tips further enriches the learning experience, providing valuable context and practical advice for language learners. Overall, the Oxford Beginner’s Chinese Dictionary has been an indispensable companion for my daughter on her journey to mastering Chinese. Its comprehensive coverage, user-friendly layout, and emphasis on stroke order and radicals make it an essential tool for beginners navigating the complexities of the Chinese language. I highly recommend it to anyone embarking on their Chinese language learning journey, whether in a classroom setting or through self-study.