An amazing dictionary that I bought is the "Pocket Mandarin Chinese Dictionary." It has both Chinese-English and English-Chinese. It contains the 3,000 most commonly used words in the language, which I find useful because it allows you to focus on the foundations of the language and essential vocabulary. Usually, if I want to say something and I don't know how, the word will be in this dictionary. Rarely do I need to use words that are not in this book.  Check it out!

Jordan

Can anybody reccomend a Chinese dictionary application for the iPhone? At best one that is seamlessly interacting with the Safari browser?

Hi!

For those who are looking for stroke orders of characters or a dictionary with recognition (like Wenlin), I can recommend you the following site:

www.mdbg.net

For the recognition, go to 'advanced word dictionary' and then click on the brush icon

No idea of how good the dict is, but for beginners it does its job well.

olpc

I've never entered a post in this manner before.  Not sure where it will go...

Can anyone out there recommend a good Chinese-English / English-Chinese dictionary?

Also, are there any good books for learning Chinese grammar that anyone has come across?

Thanks for any suggestions.

-jim

Hi! I'm looking for advice on finding a good dictionary for my Mac and my iPod Touch. Anyone have any thoughts?

Hey guys, I wanted to know if anybody here uses this program called Pleco? http://www.pleco.com

It's a very extensive dictionary, has the ability to write a character in and it will recognize it and lead you to it's entry in multiple dictionaries. I just got the demo, will only let you look at A's, and I was delighted also to see that the dictionary I'm working with right now (being a new learner), the Tuttle Learner's Dictionary, is on there, on top of a few other ones.

So Before I purchase, does anybody else use this? Is it worth it? Something better out there, or what?

Thanks and p.s. this is my first post on ChinesePod so woo!

Hello!

Do you know Lingoes? Lingoes is a software which includes  dictionaries and text translation. I have just started to use this software, and I think it very useful.

Hi Leute,

welches woerterbuch chinesisch deutsch/ deutsch chinesisch ist eurer meinung nach zu empfehlen? Dabei wuerde ich neben buechern auch online-websites und computerprogramme in betracht ziehen.

This dictionary has 32 languages, including Mandarin and Cantonese.

http://www.elovivo.com/

I just found it so haven't used it much, but I see a lot of people requesting Cantonese resources and thought I would share!

Does anybody know why the Nciku dictionary is no longer available?  I haven't been able to use it all weekend.  At first I figured that it would be fixed on Monday, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I found a good dictionary of Chinese online, obviously you may have some too. This one contains letters, words, 成语(4-word words???) and some history.

Discover it yourself. Have fun.

Hi,

I like the Google translation tool. However still an audio tool is not included so that I cannot hear the Chinese in order to exercise and master the correct pronounciation. Is there a software or website available where I can ideally translate whole sentences and will get also the PINYIN including audio support???

With Google the sentence "i like chinese food" gives the right translation "wǒ xǐ huan zhōng guó shí pǐn". It would also help if I could now copy the PINYIN into a software or Online Tool to hear the pronounciation. Is something like this availble???

http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en&safe=off&q=i%20like%20chinese%20food&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wT#

I keep coming across these characters (性味归经:) when searching for the functions of certain herbs like 地耳草.  So is there a good dictionary that people have found that has helped them?  Are there any online?  What does " 性味归经: " mean anyway? 

Certain glossaries are quite good, but I've only ever found comprehensive information in the back of some books.  So, have any of you found a dictionary that is quite comprehensive?  I've found a lot of dictionaries that only seem to be of use to Chinese speakers learning English.  Usually they are transliterations:  脱证 = abandoned/desertion syndrome.

Instead, I'm hoping that there are books, or online sources, with content like this:  脱证 = abandoned/desertion patterns: A presentation of continuous heavy sweating (called "sweating pearls"), frigid extremities, a jaw that sags, closed eyes, flaccid hands, incontinence, and a minute, thin pulse.  This is usually due to severe injury to the qi, blood, yin, and yang such that the essential qi has drained out or "abandoned" the patient.  This can be caused by wind-stroke, excessive sweating, excessive diarrhea, or a great loss of blood.  (Pg 1139, Matria Medica 3rd Edition, Bensky, et al.)

Also, has anyone discovered a good reference for plant names?  I've been looking for the latin name of 地耳草, but the sources I've found usually don't match.

So what has been your experience?  Do you have good references?  Can you find all the information you're looking for?  Is searching for lesser known herbs or TCM terms like digging for a sliver embedded under your finger nail, or is that too much of an exaggeration?

Anyone know of an English Chinese Dictionary software for Windows? I've bought a netbook with Windows 7 in preparing for my China trip and I'm searching for a English Chinese Dictionary with pinyin as well as Chinese characters to load into the netbook.

Strange that there are various such dictionaries for hand held devices such as the Iphone and Google Andriod, but seemingly non for the ordinary Windows computer. I've searched Amazon, Google and can't seem to find such an English to Chinese dictionary for the Windows operating system.   

I just got this great book by Allison & Laurence Matthews, "Learning Chinese Characters."  It helps you learn/memorize the first 800 characters you need to get through HSK level A.  It uses mnemonic stories to help you remember the characters.  I'm through three chapters, about 40 characters, I am doing better remembering than I thought possible.  It is published by Tuttle and cost $20 from Amazon.

I wish I had it a year ago.