Xinhua Dictionary

This is the dictionary published by the Commercial Press. Not to be confused with the no-relation Xinhua News Agency.
10th (2004) edition of Xinhua Zidian

The Xinhua Zidian (Chinese: 新华字典; pinyin: Xīnhuá Zìdiǎn), also as Xinhua Dictionary, is a Chinese-language dictionary published by the Commercial Press. The first edition of Xinhua Zidian was published in 1957. The latest version is the 12th edition, which was published in August 2020.

It is the best-selling Chinese dictionary and the world's most popular reference work.[1] In 2016, Guinness World Records officially confirmed that the dictionary, published by The Commercial Press, is the "Most popular dictionary" and the "Best-selling book (regularly updated)". It is considered a symbol of Chinese culture.[2]

This pocket-sized dictionary of Chinese characters uses simplified Chinese characters and pinyin romanization. The most recent Xinhua Zidian edition (the 12th) contains 3,300 compounds and includes over 13,000 logograms, including traditional Chinese characters and variant Chinese characters. Bopomofo is used as a supplement alongside Pinyin. Xinhua Zidian is divided into 189 "radicals" or "section headers".[3] More recent editions have followed a GB13000.1 national standard in using a 201-radical system.

Besides their popular concise version Xinhua Zidian, Commercial Press also publishes a large-print edition and a Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation.[4][5] In addition, the Shanxi Education Press publishes a pinyin-edition Xinhua Zidian with both characters and orthographically precise transcriptions.[6]

  1. ^ "400 million copies of Chinese-character dictionary". Peoples Daily. 13 February 2004. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Guinness World Records Announces Xinhua Dictionary as the 'Most Popular Dictionary' and the 'Best-Selling book (regularly updated)'". Guinness World Records. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  3. ^ DeFrancis, John (1984). The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 291. ISBN 0-585-31289-3. OCLC 45733542.
  4. ^ Clark, Paul. "Han-Ying shuangjie Xinhua Zidian (Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation) (review)." China Review International, 2001, 8.2, 387–388
  5. ^ Yao Naiqiang (姚乃强), ed. Han-Ying shuangjie Xinhua Zidian (汉英双解新华字典), Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation. Beijing: Commercial Press. 2000. ISBN 7-80103-198-9
  6. ^ Yi Ken'ichirō; Dong Jingru; Yamada Ruriko, eds. (1999). 新华字典汉语拼音版 [Pinyin edition of the Xinhua Zidian] (in Chinese) (1 ed.). Taiyuan: Shanxi jiao yu chu ban she. ISBN 7-5440-0941-6. OCLC 43519830.