Coldscholar Dictionary

Learning Chinese takes more than memorizing translations. As your vocabulary grows, a Chinese-Chinese dictionary can help you understand words through the language itself: how they are used, how their meanings differ, and how they fit into everyday sentences.

Coldscholar Dictionary (寒士汉语学习词典) is a printed learner's dictionary of Modern Standard Chinese for students who already know some Chinese and want to read and learn with greater independence. Rather than offering English equivalents for each word, it explains Chinese vocabulary in accessible Chinese, supported by pronunciation guides, examples, and notes on usage.

The dictionary contains 6,169 entries, 10,256 senses, and 9,488 example sentences, covering a selection of frequently used characters and words. Entries give tone-marked pinyin, part-of-speech information, and traditional character forms alongside simplified headwords where the forms differ. Different meanings are numbered and labeled, helping readers distinguish a word's uses rather than treating every translation as interchangeable.

Usage notes explain differences between related expressions and indicate when a word belongs to everyday conversation, formal writing, older language, or a particular regional variety. Cross-references connect related vocabulary; selected entries also identify common compounds and the measure words used with nouns. Example sentences place meanings in context.

Designed for use as a physical reference, the book offers several ways to find a character or word. Look up known pronunciations alphabetically by pinyin, or use the radical and stroke indexes when you do not know how a character is pronounced. A syllable index, running page heads, and alphabet tabs help you move through the volume. An English-language guide explains how to use the entries, alongside a detailed Chinese guide and a pinyin pronunciation chart.

Keep it beside a textbook, consult it during independent reading, or use it while writing out new vocabulary and definitions. Coldscholar Dictionary is intended as a companion for learners ready to move beyond translating every word into English and become more comfortable understanding Chinese in Chinese.

Based on the openly licensed CC-CEDICT project, the dictionary includes an account of its sources, compilation methods, and licensing in the front matter.