ABC Chinese-English Dictionary

The ABC Chinese-English Dictionary is a widely-used reference work published in 1996 by the University of Hawaii Press. The dictionary contains over 72,000 entries organized using a phonetic index system based on pinyin romanization. The entries cover both simplified and traditional Chinese characters, with cross-references between variant forms. Each entry provides English definitions, pronunciation guidance in pinyin, and character stroke counts. The dictionary employs an innovative alphabetic arrangement that allows users to look up characters without knowing their radicals or stroke order. This system represents a departure from traditional Chinese dictionary organization methods and aims to make the dictionary more accessible to English-speaking learners. The work stands as an influential bridge between Chinese and English language study, reflecting both linguistic scholarship and practical pedagogical needs. Its systematic approach to organizing Chinese characters has influenced subsequent dictionary development and Chinese language teaching methods.

Readers call this dictionary practical for intermediate Chinese learners, highlighting its alphabetical organization that makes finding characters fast compared to radical-based systems. Likes: - Clear pronunciation guides - Multiple example sentences per entry - Includes both simplified and traditional characters - Organized by Pinyin, making it accessible for English speakers - Compact size for portability Dislikes: - Paper quality is thin - Print size can be hard to read - Some entries lack common usage examples - Not comprehensive enough for advanced learners - No radical index for looking up unknown characters Ratings: Amazon: 4.3/5 (68 reviews) Goodreads: 4.1/5 (9 reviews) One reader noted: "Perfect for reading Chinese texts when you know the pronunciation but not the meaning." Another mentioned: "The binding fell apart after 6 months of regular use." Several reviewers recommend pairing it with a radical-based dictionary for complete reference needs.

A New China by Chi-Hua Tang and Klaus Sar This textbook provides comprehensive Chinese language instruction through authentic texts and progressive learning structures matched to the ABC Chinese-English Dictionary's pedagogical approach.

Tuttle Learner's Chinese-English Dictionary by Li Dong This dictionary contains 15,000 entries with Pinyin romanization and stroke order diagrams for each character.

Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar by Yip Po-Ching, Don Rimmington The reference book presents Chinese grammatical structures in systematic order with examples that correspond to dictionary entries.

Reading and Writing Chinese by William McNaughton, Li Ying The guide breaks down 2,000 Chinese characters into basic strokes and components while providing etymology and pronunciation.

Far East 3000 Chinese Character Dictionary by Liang Shih-Chiu This reference work organizes characters by radical and stroke count with multiple indexes that complement traditional dictionary lookup methods.

🔤 The ABC Chinese-English Dictionary was revolutionary for introducing a single-sort alphabetical ordering system, allowing users to find Chinese characters without knowing their radicals or stroke count 📚 John DeFrancis, despite becoming one of the most influential Chinese language scholars, didn't start studying Chinese until age 27 when he was already a Wall Street stockbroker 🎓 The dictionary uses a unique alphabetization method based on pinyin romanization, which was considered controversial when published but later became a standard approach 🌏 DeFrancis strongly advocated against the "ideographic myth" - the common misconception that Chinese characters directly represent ideas rather than sounds 📖 The dictionary contains over 72,000 entries and includes both simplified and traditional characters, making it equally valuable for students of mainland Chinese and Taiwan/Hong Kong variants of written Chinese