A structured unit of speech; an organized expression or wording.
Word, term, phrase, lyric, or spoken line. Speech (讠) + manager (司): speech managed into meaningful words.
词
Common Usage & Traps
- 生词 — new word
- 单词 — word (single word)
- 学词 — learn words
- 几个词 — a few words
- 中文词 — Chinese word
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一个词生词 / 单词While '一个词' is grammatically correct, it is not a common collocation. Learners often overuse it instead of the natural terms '生词' or '单词'.
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说词说话 / 用词'说词' is not a standard phrase. Learners may try to say 'speak words' but should use '说话' (speak) or '用词' (wording).
What is the difference between 词 and 字?
词 means 'word' (a meaningful unit), while 字 means 'character' (a written symbol).
In Chinese, 字 refers to a single written character, which may or may not have meaning on its own. 词 refers to a word, which can be one or more characters and carries a specific meaning. For example, '学' is a 字 (character), but '学生' is a 词 (word).
| Dimension | 词 | 字 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | word | character |
| Example | 生词 (new word) | 生 (character) |
| Usage | Can be multi-character | Single character |
What is the difference between 词 and 词典?
词 means 'word', while 词典 means 'dictionary' (a book of words).
词 is a single word or term. 词典 is a compound noun meaning 'dictionary', which is a reference book containing words. The character 典 means 'standard' or 'classic', so 词典 is a collection of standard words.
| Dimension | 词 | 词典 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | word | dictionary |
| Example | 生词 (new word) | 查词典 (consult a dictionary) |
| Usage | General term | Specific object |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Learn the fascinating story behind the Chinese idiom '东山再起' (Dongshan Zaiji), which means to make a comeback. Discover its historical roots and modern usage.
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这是一个 褒义词 ，表达的是鼓励和佩服。
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东山再起是 褒义词 ，而“死灰复燃”就是它的 反义词 ，是一个 贬义词 。
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比较搞笑的是它口语体的 反义词 ：咸鱼翻身。
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
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我教他英文，他教我中文，每天学几个 词 ，很快，我们的英语和汉语都能好很多。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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