Usage note
字典是用来查找词语意思和拼写的工具。
zì diǎn shì yòng lái zhǎo chá cí yǔ shì yǐng hé pīn shé de gōng jù。
A dictionary is a tool used to look up word meanings and spellings.
Context note
字典常用于学习新词汇、写作和翻译时查找词语的意思或拼写。
zì diǎn cháng yòng yú xué xí xīn cí huì、xiě zhuó hé fān yì shí zhǎo chá cí yǔ de shì yǐng huò pīn shé。
Dictionaries are commonly used when learning new vocabulary, writing, and translating to find word meanings or spellings.
5 examples
妈妈让我查字典。
mā ma ràng wǒ chá zì diǎn。
Mom asked me to check the dictionary.
我用字典学习新单词。
wǒ yòng zì diǎn xué xí xīn dān cí。
I use a dictionary to learn new words.
查字典可以帮助我们正确拼写词语。
chá zì diǎn kě yǐ bāng zhù wǒ men zhèng què pīn xiě cí yǔ。
Using a dictionary can help us spell words correctly.
字典里有很多词语解释。
zì diǎn lǐ yǒu hěn duō cí yǔ jiě shì。
Dictionaries contain many word explanations.
我们可以在网上找到电子字典。
wǒ men kě yǐ zài wǎng shàng zhǎo dào diàn zǐ zì diǎn。
We can find electronic dictionaries online.
5 mini stories
小明在写作文时，发现不认识一个词，他查了字典。
xiǎo míng zài xiě zuò wén shí， fā xiàn bú rèn shi yí gè cí， tā chá le zì diǎn。
Xiaoming found he didn't know a word when writing an essay, so he checked the dictionary.
小红在学习英语时，经常用字典来查单词的意思和拼写。
xiǎo hóng zài xué xí yīng yǔ shí， jīng cháng yòng zì diǎn lái chá dān cí de yì sī hé pīn xiě。
Xiaohong often uses a dictionary to look up word meanings and spellings when studying English.
小华在图书馆借了一本字典，他觉得这对学习很有帮助。
xiǎo huá zài tú shū guǎn jiè le yì běn zì diǎn， tā jué de zhè duì xué xí hěn yǒu bāng zhù。
Xiaohua borrowed a dictionary from the library, and he found it very helpful for his studies.
小丽在写日记时，查字典来纠正拼写的错误。
xiǎo lì zài xiě rì jì shí， chá zì diǎn lái jiū zhèng pīn xiě de cuò wù。
Xiaoli checked the dictionary to correct her spelling mistakes when writing in her diary.
小强在学习新词汇时，总是先查字典来了解词语的意思。
xiǎo qiáng zài xué xí xīn cí huì shí， zǒng shì xiān chá zì diǎn lái liǎo jiě cí yǔ de yì sī。
Xiaqiang always checks the dictionary first to understand word meanings when learning new vocabulary.
Mini dialogue
查生字
A
这个字我不认识，你有字典吗？
Zhège zì wǒ bù rènshi, nǐ yǒu zìdiǎn ma?
I don't know this character, do you have a dictionary?
B
有，用我的字典查一查吧。
Yǒu, yòng wǒ de zìdiǎn chá yī chá ba.
Yes, use my dictionary to look it up.
学习工具
A
学中文最好有一本字典。
Xué Zhōngwén zuì hǎo yǒu yī běn zìdiǎn.
It's best to have a dictionary when learning Chinese.
B
对，字典可以帮我们学很多字。
Duì, zìdiǎn kěyǐ bāng wǒmen xué hěn duō zì.
Right, a dictionary can help us learn many characters.
Related words and contrasts
similar
词典
cídiǎn
word dictionary
词典 is a dictionary for words and phrases, while 字典 focuses on individual characters.
related
查
chá
to look up
查 is the verb often used with 字典, as in 查字典 (to look up in a dictionary).