Dictionaries of Chinese language, literature, history, and culture are extremely numerous. The following is a brief sketch of some major sources, but is not intended to be comprehensive. For more detailed information or help finding or using these sources, please consult the librarians listed at the bottom of the guide.
Call number information for the Harvard-Yenching Library reference room is provided for each text. You may also want to check HOLLIS to see if there are copies available in the stacks or at other Harvard libraries. "Relevant call number" information includes the Library of Congress and Ch'iu Kai-ming systems used at Harvard-Yenching, but does not give special call number systems used at Widener, Fine Arts, etc. Many of the works listed have multiple editions, so besides following out the HOLLIS links provided, you may also want to run title searches to find other versions. Links are provided to conversion charts for Wade-Giles / pinyin.
Chinese - English Dictionaries
There are still no good Chinese-English dictionaries for classical Chinese. This section will introduce two classic works which may still be useful, as well as several modern Chinese-English dictionaries.
Relevant call number range: PL1455 or 5196
Mathews’ Chinese-English Dictionary HOLLIS record
Ref (W) PL1455 .M34 1943
Standard Chinese-English dictionary developed originally for the China Inland Mission. Includes both modern and classical usages, so not a classical dictionary per se.
- modified Wade-Giles transliteration
- Organized by pronunciation in English alphabetic order. Tone is indicated by the superscripted number next to the character.
- Radical index usually in the back of the dictionary (depends on edition). Characters are mapped to a specific number, not just to a page.
- Includes a list of "difficult to find" characters, i.e. those where the radical may not be obvious, such as 凳. These provide the number of the radical as well as the number of the character.
- Provides numerous examples, mostly of compounds headed by the character. The final ones in each section may include examples where the character appears second or in a phrase.
- Best for Qing 清 and early 20th century usage.
- Includes tables of dynasties and reigns, stems and branches chart, etc.
- Available for purchase in the Harvard University Press showroom in Holyoke Center.
A Chinese-English Dictionary HOLLIS record
Ref (W) PL1455 .G62 1964x
Originally published in 1892 by Herbert A. Giles (one of the creators of the Wade-Giles system) of the British consular service.
- Wade-Giles transliteration
- Organized by pronunciation in English alphabetic order. Tone is indicated by the superscripted number next to the character.
- Radical index usually in the front. Characters are mapped to a specific number, not just to a page.
- Includes a list of "difficult to find" characters, i.e. those where the radical may not be obvious, such as 凳. These provide the number of the radical as well as the number of the character.
- Provides numerous examples, mostly of compounds headed by the character. The final ones in each section may include examples where the character appears second or in a phrase.
- Best for Qing 清 and early 20th century usage.
- Includes tables of dynasties and reigns, stems and branches, weights and measures, province and banner names, etc.
Far East Chinese-English Dictionary 遠東漢英大辭典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) PL1455 .Y826 1992
Modern dictionary from Taiwan with more literary usages than most.
- Entries organized by radical
- Character pronunciations provided in pinyin 拼音and zhuyin fuhao 注音符號. Compounds are given with zhuyin fuhao 注音符號 only.
- Look characters up by pinyin 拼音, zhuyin fuhao 注音符號, and number of strokes
- Includes a list of "difficult to find" characters, i.e. those where the radical may not be obvious, such as 凳.
- Includes tables of dynasties and reigns, stems and branches, weights and measures, personal and place names, comparision of different transliteration systems (e.g. Wade-Giles, pinyin 拼音, zhuyin fuhao 注音符號, etc.).
- Different editions have different features; for example, older Taiwan-published editions may not have pinyin 拼音. Later editions, such as the Beijing-published 1995 one (Ref (C) PL1455 .Y826 1995x HOLLIS record), provide simplified versions for each character and pinyin pronunciations for compounds
The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary : Chinese-English Edition 現代汉语词典: 汉英双语
(C) PL1420 .X535 2002x (in regular stacks) HOLLIS record
Good modern dictionary.
- Organized by pinyin.
- In simplified characters
- Provides traditional forms for characters
ABC Chinese-English comprehensive dictionary : alphabetically based computerized 汉英大词典HOLLIS record
Ref (W) PL1455 .A33 2003
Edited by John DeFrancis, this dictionary is widely available and especially useful for looking up characters and compounds whose pronunciation you know or can guess.
- Entries organized by pronunciation in pinyin 拼音 following English alphabetic order.
- Entries are written in simplified forms with traditional forms given in parantheses where they differ.
- Radical and stroke number indexes are provided so you can look up characters you can't pronounce. In the radical index, the traditional radical forms are given, but both simplified and traditional versions will be listed under the radical.
- Includes a detailed explanation of pinyin 拼音 orthography (i.e. when to space - please note that this does not correspond to library catalogue spacing), a list of measure words, a brief list of dynasties, and a comparision of different transliteration systems (e.g. Wade-Giles, pinyin 拼音, zhuyin fuhao 注音符號, etc.).
- The 1996 edition (HOLLIS record) lacks a stroke number index and has a simplified radical index.
Lin Yutang's Chinese-English Dictionary of Modern Usage 林语堂当代汉英词典-电子版[繁体]
Online, somewhat updated version of the 1972 edition of the Lin Yutang dictionary
Ref (C) PL1455 .L67 1972x HOLLIS record.
- Searches head characters, compounds, and text of definition by character, radical or pinyin.
- Chinese and English interfaces
- Not completely intuitive to use, but free.
Classical / Literary Dictionaries
The following are some standard works devoted specifically to classical, rather than modern, usages. They are divided into two groups. The first is for smaller - if not quite "pocket" - dictionaries, and the latter for more comprehensive, multi-volume works.
Relevant call number range: PL1420 or 5174
Wang Li gu Han yu zidian 王力古漢語字典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) PL1485 .W36 2000
Excellent one-volume dictionary of single characters compiled by Wang Li, one of the leading 20th-century scholars of Chinese linguistics.
- Organized by radical.
- Pinyin index and radical indexes provided. The radical index gives the first page of that radical's section; characters within that section will be listed by number of strokes. Characters on a given page are listed at the top of each page.
- Traditional characters only.
- Includes handy notes on the differences among words with similar meanings.
- Particularly useful for early (pre-Han 漢 dynasty) usage.
- Appendices include a list of dynasties and reigns with dates given in stems and branches as well as Arabic numbers and a chart of weights and measures for different periods.
Gu Han yu chang yong zi zi dian 古汉语常用字字典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) PL1420 .G825 1993x
Small dictionary covering about 4,100 characters frequently used in classical Chinese, with brief definitions and / or cross-references for another 2,500 difficult characters given in an appendix. Also created under the direction of Wang Li.
- Organized by pronunciation in pinyin 拼音
- A radical index for characters is provided using simplified forms (of radicals and characters)
- Both traditional and simplified versions of characters are provided in the entry, but the definitions and examples are in simplified characters only.
- Pronunciations are given in zhuyin fuhao 注音符號 as well.
- Includes a list of dynasties and reigns with dates given in stems and branches as well as Arabic numbers.
Ci Yuan 辭源
Ref (C) PL1420 .C588 1988x: one-volume edition HOLLIS record
Ref (C) PL1420 .T991 1979x: 4-volume edition - bigger type, but multiple volumes HOLLIS record
Excellent basic Chinese-Chinese dictionary for literary Chinese
- Organized by radical
- Pinyin 拼音and 4-corners 四角號碼 indexes at the back for character lookup. These refer you to the page number and column on which the character is found (e.g. 1208.2 is page 1208, 2nd column from left).
- Radical chart lets you find the correct section, but then you must page through to find your character by number of strokes.
- 4-corners 四角號碼 index allows you to look up compounds as well as characters.
- Includes many proper nouns such as historical figures, titles of books, and place-names as well as regular dictionary words.
- Traditional characters only.
- Limited examples of historical word usage
- Includes a simple dynastic and reign date chart in the back, with dates in Arabic and stem/branch system.
- Older versions may not have pinyin indexes; make sure to check if you buy secondhand.
Kyohak tae Han-Han sajŏn 教學大漢韓辤典 HOLLIS record
Ref (K) PL935.5 .K96 1998x : 2 volumes
Handy, reasonably comprehensive dictionary of Chinese in Korean.
Han yu da cidian 漢語大詞典
Ref (C) PL1420 .H349 1995x
:
12 volumes plus a single-character index HOLLIS record
Ref (C) PL1420 .H349 1995x Index : pinyin index of compounds HOLLIS record
Intended as the OED of Chinese, the Han yu da covers both the literary and modern languages.
- Organized by radical
- Words being defined and quotations from pre-modern sources are in traditional characters; definitions are in simplified characters
- Some illustrations
- Look characters up by pinyin indices (individual words or compounds), stroke number, and radical
- Extensive historical usage examples
- Also available on CD-ROM for in-library use at Harvard-Yenching Library CD-ROM C-0057 (version 2.0).
Han yu da zi dian 漢語大字典
HOLLIS record
Ref (C) PL1420 .H3494 1986 :
8 volumes
A dictionary of the development and meanings of individual characters.
- Organized by radical.
- Illustrations of character forms from different historical periods.
- Each volume has a detailed radical index of the characters in that volume.
- No compounds
- Includes variant character forms and obscure meanings not found in the Han yu da ci dian 漢語大詞典
- Appendices include an extensive list of sources used in compiling the dictionary and a list of ancient pronunciations.
Zhong wen da ci dian 中文大辭典
Ref (C) PL1420 .C57 1973 : 10 volumes HOLLIS record
"The encyclopedic dictionary of the Chinese language."
- Organized by radical
- Traditional characters only
- Basically a translation of the 1955-60 edition of the Dai Kan-Wa jiten 大漢和辭典 (“Morohashi” 諸橋); see below
- Includes many words and compounds
- Limited historical usage examples
Dai Kan-Wa jiten 大漢和辞典 HOLLIS record
Ref (J) PL677.5 .M67 1989x : 13 volumes
Often referred to as the Morohashi dictionary after its editor, Morohashi Tetsuji 諸橋徹次, this is one of the largest and best dictionaries of classical Chinese. Some coverage is also given to modern words and phrases.
- Organized by radical.
- Definitions in Japanese.
- Compounds are listed in Japanese alphabetic order by the second character
- Radical and stroke number indexes available.
- Includes proper nouns such as important personal and place names
- Limited historical usage examples
- The 1984-86 edition is significantly expanded from the 1955-60 edition (HOLLIS record) and the reduced-size 1966-88 edition (HOLLIS record).
Han-Han taesajŏn 漢韓大辭典 HOLLIS record
Ref (K) PL935.5 .H35 1999x : 7 volumes
Comprehensive dictionary of classical Chinese in Korean.
Han'guk Hanchaŏ sajŏn 韓國漢字語辤典 HOLLIS record
Ref (K) PL935.5 .H36 1993 : 4 volumes
Standard dictionary of classical Chinese in Korean.
CJKV-English Dictionary: A Dictionary-Database of CJK Characters and Compounds Related to East Asian Cultural, Political, and Intellectual History (Harvard ID/PIN required)
Originally part of the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, the CJKV-English Dictionary provides romanization and definitions in English for characters and compounds in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The focus is on Chinese terminology derived from Confucianism, Daoism, secular literature, poetry, and historical works. Page references are given to entries in classical dictionaries. Unicode-based.
Restricted access is also provided to non-subscribers. Registering as a guest allows users to perform a limited number of searches. Scholars of pre-modern East Asia may also obtain unlimited searching privileges by contributing to the dictionary. Information is available on the site.
Biographical and Title Dictionaries
General dictionaries may include a limited number of personal names. In many cases, however, you may need to turn to a more specialized dictionary. The dictionaries listed below are general works covering major figures for all periods. There are also a wide range of biographical dictionaries covering specific periods (e.g. Sung biographies) or types of people (e.g. artists, women, and so on).
Relevant call number range: DS734 and 2257.6. But also see under subject specific sections (e.g. N or 6100 for artists).
Zhongguo ren ming da ci dian 中國人名大辭典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) DS734 .C62153 1980x
Originally published in 1921, this has been a standard source for biographical information.
- Organized by stroke count
- Includes a 4-corner 四角號碼 index which includes first names.
- Traditional characters.
- Within a given surname, entries are organized by number of strokes in the first name
- Gives the rough date (dynasty and perhaps reign period in which they did something significant) and brief biographical information for about 40,000 people.
- Appendix of alternative names 異名表 of figures included, arranged by stroke count.
Er shi wu shi ren ming da ci dian 二十五史人名大辭典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) DS734 .E744 1997x : 2 volumes
Summarizes and indexes the biographical materials from the 25 dynastic (standard) histories. More extensive than the Zhongguo ren ming da ci dian 中國人名大辭典.
- Arranged by dynasty and within dynasty by appearance in the history (e.g. figures from volume 1, figures from volume 2, etc.).
- Stroke count index at the back of each volume for the contents of that volume.
- Listing of names included at the front of each volume given in order of appearance.
- Includes birth and death dates in Western calendar where available, as well as references to the chapter and page of the relevant standard history.
- Simplified characters only
A dictionary of official titles in Imperial China HOLLIS record
Ref (W) JQ1512.Z13 T574 1985
Brief synopses of the evolution of official titles and offices over the course of Chinese history from Zhou through Qing, with suggested translations into English. Often referred to as "Hucker" after the author, Charles O. Hucker.
- Organized in alphabetic order using Wade-Giles
- Traditional characters provided for all titles
- Entries organized from earlier to later
- References alternate translations provided by other sources such as Brunnert and Hagelstrom.
- Each entry given a number
- Radical and English translation indexes reference to entry number, not to page.
- Extensive and extremely useful introduction outlining the administrative system for each period of Chinese history.
- Especially useful for the pre-Qing period.
Present day Political Organization of China HOLLIS record
Ref (W) JQ1503 1912 .B7
Standard work for Qing-period administration. Translated from the Russian. Often referred to as Brunnert and Hagelstrom after the authors.
- Organized following the structure of the government (Emperor, Imperial Court, and Metropolitan Government; Ministries (Boards); Metropolitan Prefecture, Manchuria, Provincial Administration and Dependencies; Appendix for special titles and honors).
- Wade-Giles and traditional characters provided.
- Wade-Giles index at back.
- Useful discussions of administrative organization.
Academia Sinica Name Authority File 人名權威資料查詢
A collaborative effort by several libraries and research institutes in Taiwan, this database brings together information about individuals mentioned in the Ming and Qing archives such as their birth and death dates, titles held, place of origin, etc.
- Particularly useful for Qing-period figures, especially officials.
- Data is still being added, but extensive information is already available.
- Searchable via traditional characters.
- Requires installation of a TIF viewer, which is downloadable from the site.
Place-name Dictionaries
The names of major states, cities, regions, and natural features may be included in the more comprehensive language dictionaries, you may need to use place-name dictionaries to find less well-known spots or to get a more complete sketch of the history of a given place.
Relevant call number range: DS705 and 3012.
Zhongguo gu jin di ming da ci dian 中國古今地名大辭典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) DS705 .C53 1982
Originally published in 1931, this was long the standard dictionary for historical place names.
- Organized by number of strokes
- Covers about 40,000 place names
- Gives brief outline of the administrative history and changing names of a given place with information on its Republican counterpart.
- Traditional characters
Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo di ming da ci dian 中华人民共和国地名大词典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) DS705 .C476 1998x : 6 volumes
Most comprehensive place-name dictionary to date. Although oriented more to the modern period, it includes extensive information on name changes over time and administrative history.
- Organized by region and type of feature (vol. 1-3 human settlements by province; vol. 4 natural features by province; vol. 5 historical sites and monuments by province).
- Includes pinyin 拼音 and stroke count indexes in the final volume. These include older as well as current names.
- Simplified characters only.
- Coverage up to 1994.
China Historical GIS (Geographic Information System) (CHGIS) 中国历史地理信息系统
CHGIS is an ongoing project to create a database of historical administrative units for different periods of Chinese history which facilitates mapping and spatial analysis of information.
- Lets you check quickly on the location of a place name and find a summary of its administrative history.
- Search box on the home page lets you enter a place name in pinyin romanization.
- A more advanced search option permits entry in Chinese or romanization and allows limiting by year, feature type (e.g. river), and data source; limit data source to CHGIS to eliminate purely modern results.
- In the results box, click "get details" to see a sketch of administrative hierarchy and a simple map showing location.
- Not yet comprehensive, so you may not find your place or complete coverage for all periods, but it is a useful site and worth looking at.
Calendar Conversion
Traditional texts provide dates in a variety of ways. Based on the lunar calendar, they may give dates using the year of a particular reign (3rd month of the 5th year of the Qianlong reign), a particular combination of the stem and branch system (e.g. Xinhai 辛亥), or through a combination of zodiac animals and five elements (e.g. year of the fire pig). Months may also be expressed using the stem and branches system. Converting these to the Gregorian calendar can be time-consuming. Many of the general dictionaries listed above provide charts of reign periods. Calculation of a particular year may still be frustrating, and a specific date can be quite difficult. A number of reference tools have been developed to try to address this problem. There are also a number of online tools and charts for convenient look up.
Relevant call number range: CE and 2458.
Xin bian Zhongguo san qian nian li ri jian suo biao 新编中国三千年历日检索表 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) CE15 .H785 1992
One of the most comprehensive date conversion works.
- Covers 1500 BC to 2050 CE
- Includes both cyclical characters (stems and branches) as well as reign year and month.
- The first day of each month is noted for the Chinese calendar, making it easier to calculate a particular date.
- Detailed correspondence for the Chinese 农, Western 公, and Islamic 回.
- Rulers and reign names provided for Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
- Appendices provide charts for a variety of states and kingdoms (e.g. the Warring States, Bohai, Dali, etc.).
- Pinyin 拼音, stroke count, and 4-corner 四角號碼 indexes.
Zhongguo li shi ji nian biao 中國歷史紀年表 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) CE15 .C485 1980 [in Chinese Cataloging Office]
Handy volume for date conversion.
Liang qian nian Zhong Xi li dui zhao biao 兩千年中西曆對照表 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) CE37 .L545 1956x
Includes an introduction in English with numerous examples illustrating how to use the concordance and the types of issues which must be considered.
Chinese - Western Calendar Conversion Tool 兩千年中西曆轉換
Permits two-way conversion of years between Western and Chinese calendars.
- Provides drop-down menus for dynasty, emperors posthumous name, and reign period.
- Years, months, and days may be entered using numbers or selected from drop-down menus of stem and branch combinations.
- If you do not indicate a reign period or emperor, the system retrieves the first instance of that date. To see all instances of a particular date (e.g. 辛亥) during a dynasty, you will have to do multiple searches.
- Results screen provides a summary of how this year maps to the Gregorian calendar and indicates the stem-branch dates for every ten days of the lunar month.
- Results for a specific date search are highlighted in the calendar.
- Intercalary option provided.
- Western-date searches must have year, month, and day entered .
- There are two different submit 執行 buttons for Chinese-Western and Western-Chinese searches
Finding More Information
Chinese History: A Manual HOLLIS record
Ref (W) DS735 .W695 2000
Excellent and fairly current guide to reference sources and genres of texts for the study of pre-twentieth century. Although the bias is towards history, it is still useful for those working in other fields.
- Organized by genre and by period.
- Detailed bibliographic information provided for texts mentioned.
- Extensive commentary and evaluation of various sources.
- Subject, name, title, and term indexes.
- Available in paperback at the Harvard University Press showroom in Holyoke Center.
Digital Resources for Chinese Studies: 6. Dictionaries, Reference Tools, and Romanization
Information about online and CD resources for dictionaries, including links to other sites with dictionary coverage. Please also see the explanation of romanization issues affecting library catalogues.
East Asian Studies Research Guide
Western-language resources for East Asian studies, including a number of biographical dictionaries and chronologies.
Xin bian si jia hao ma 新編四角號碼詞典 HOLLIS record
Ref (C) PL1420 .S7 1986x
Modern, Chinese-Chinese dictionary which provides the 4-corners numbers for characters.
- Arranged in 4-corner order
- Pinyin and radical indexes at the back
- Simplified characters only
- Comparison chart for old and new 4-corners number assignments.
- Helpful if you are working with a dictionary or reference work organized only by 4-corners or where other lookup methods have failed.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact Ellen McGill (Reference and Electronic Resources, Yenching), Xiao-he Ma (Librarian for the Chinese Collection, Yenching), Dr. Raymond Lum (Librarian for the Western-Language Collection at Yenching/ Asia Bibliographer at Widener), or Cheryl LaGuardia (Widener Research Librarian, EALC liaison).
Additional suggestions and feedback for this guide are very welcome!
Page Last Reviewed: August 14, 2007