HSK 3.0 Level 3 · School

字典 zìdiǎn “dictionary (of characters)” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 字典 means

  1. dictionary (of characters)
  2. Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a 词典, which has entries for words of one or more characters)
  3. (coll.) dictionary

Measure word 本 běn · 一本字典 yì běn zìdiǎn

How to say 字典

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale字zì4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale典diǎn3rd tone, dipping

字典 in a sentence

  1. 你可以用我的字典。

    Nǐ kěyǐ yòng wǒ de zìdiǎn.

    You can use my dictionary.

    Sentence #1227100 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 请把你的字典借给我。

    Qǐng bǎ nǐ de zìdiǎn jiè gěi wǒ.

    Please lend me your dictionary.

    Sentence #843558 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 我需要一本字典。

    Wǒ xūyào yì běn zìdiǎn.

    I need a dictionary.

    Sentence #13132034 from Tatoeba

How 字典 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 字 (zì) with each of its parts in a different colour
字zìletter
  • 宀roof · mián
  • 子child · zǐ

Memory aidA child 子 under a roof 宀, learning to write: a written character.

The character 典 (diǎn) with each of its parts in a different colour
典diǎncanon
  • 曲crooked · qū
  • 八eight · bā

Memory aidThe top was once 册, a bundle of bamboo books, resting on a stand: important books, as in 词典 (cídiǎn) “dictionary”.

How to write 字典

字 6 strokes · 典 8 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

字典 (zìdiǎn) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 字典 (zìdiǎn). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 字典

Words with 字

字zì · character名字míngzi · name汉字hànzì · Chinese character数字shùzì · numeral文字wénzì · writing字母zìmǔ · letter (of the alphabet)字幕zìmù · caption赤字chìzì · deficit繁体字fántǐzì · traditional Chinese character简体字jiǎntǐzì · simplified Chinese characters

Words with 典

词典cídiǎn · dictionary经典jīngdiǎn · classic古典gǔdiǎn · classical典型diǎnxíng · typical典礼diǎnlǐ · ceremony

More words: School & Work

大学dàxué · university大学生dàxuéshēng · university student笔记bǐjì · notes休假xiūjià · to take leave班级bānjí · class (of students)课本kèběn · textbook留学生liúxuéshēng · international student课文kèwén · text (of a lesson)

FAQs

字典 (zìdiǎn) means “dictionary (of characters)” or “Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a 词典, which has entries for words of one or more characters)”. It is an HSK 3.0 Level 3 word.
Say it zìdiǎn: zì with a 4th tone, then diǎn with a 3rd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 字典 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Use 本 (běn). For example, one dictionary (of characters) is 一本字典 (yì běn zìdiǎn).
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type zidian with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 字典 from the suggestions. Typing zidian into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
字典 is an HSK 3.0 Level 3 word in the official 2021 syllabus, and it is on our HSK 3.0 Band 5 word list. It is not on the older HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.