<p>字典 means dictionary of characters. A common 汉字字典 should contain ~8000 entries for each Chinese character. In each character entry, it's often to see example words or short phrases using that character. So, it's common to see a 汉字字典 is used as a 汉语词典.</p>

<p>词典 means dictionary of words. So, each entry of a 汉语词典 is a word. Generally 汉语词典 is sorted in alphabetic order in Chinese characters, so it's common to see a 汉语词典 is used as a 汉字字典.</p>

<p>So, in China, there's not too much difference between 汉字字典 and 汉语词典. But the book of 汉语词典 is mostly thicker then 汉字字典.</p>

<p>辞典 means dictionary of phrases. Generally, 辞 may refer to some famous, well known phrases said by some dead guys or famous man. Well, like I've said it's not too much differences between 词典 and 辞典, but a book of 汉语辞典 is mostly thicker then a 汉语词典. You can also expect that a 汉语大辞典 is thicker then a 汉语辞典.</p>

<p>In English, it will be something like:</p>

<p>English 字典： (26 entries)</p>

<pre><code>A    This is the first letter.
B    This is the second letter.
...
Z    This is the last letter.
</code></pre>

<p>English 词典:</p>

<pre><code>A        Indefinite article. Also the first letter. e.g. a cat.
Apple    A kind of fruit. Green or red.
Cat      A white animal. two ears, four legs.
...
</code></pre>

<p>English 辞典:</p>

<pre><code>Rain cats and dogs: A very big rain. Its rain drop is as big as cat or dog.
</code></pre>

<p>(Most 汉语辞典s include words and characters entries as well.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-04T11:42:14.680Z
Anyway, cat is not always white... but that does not matter...
Earth Engine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T08:53:05.550Z
2012-04-04T09:49:51.250Z
2012-04-04T09:49:51.250Z
Lenik
<p>The difference between 字典 and the other two is clear enough; the <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/6983.htm" rel="nofollow">Baidu page on 字典</a> describes it as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>在西方，是没有字典的概念，全是中国独有的。 字典收字为主，亦会收词。词典或辞典收词为主，也会收字。<br>
  <em>In the West, there is no concept of a "字典"; it is unique to China. A "字典" aims to collect 字, though it also collects words. A 词典 or 辞典 aims to collect words, though it also collects characters.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Non-Chinese languages lack a distinction between words and characters; Chinese differentiates between a 字典 and a 词典 because they have different goals.</p>

<p>The difference between 词典 and 辞典 is more subtle. A neither sourced nor particularly scholarly <a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/9202769" rel="nofollow">Baidu post</a> gives the following:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>词典，比字多了一层：组词和释义；辞典，是在字典和词典的基础上增加了词的使用方法.<br>
  <em>A 词典 is one level deeper than a 字典: compound words and meanings; a 辞典 adds usage notes to the foundation of the 字典 and 词典.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>(This same post claims that the main function of a 字典 is to provide pronunciation and writing information for characters.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T04:27:43.380Z
2012-04-04T10:32:08.437Z
2012-04-04T10:32:08.437Z
Alf
<p>词（辞）典 is for compound words, eg 成语词典、汉语词典、etc.</p>

<p>字典 is for Chinese characters and meanings, focus on character's meaning, may also contain related compound words.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T10:28:19.903Z
2012-04-04T10:28:19.903Z
Scott混合理论
<p>I don't think they are necessarily different kinds of dictionaries, but is there a subtle distinction? Or maybe their etymologies?</p>

<word-choice><etymology><difference>
What's the difference between 词典, 辞典, and 字典?
# What's the difference between 词典, 辞典, and 字典?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-04-04)

I don't think they are necessarily different kinds of dictionaries, but is there a subtle distinction? Or maybe their etymologies?

**Tags:** word-choice, etymology, difference


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-04-04. Score: 11

字典 means dictionary of characters. A common 汉字字典 should contain ~8000 entries for each Chinese character. In each character entry, it's often to see example words or short phrases using that character. So, it's common to see a 汉字字典 is used as a 汉语词典.

词典 means dictionary of words. So, each entry of a 汉语词典 is a word. Generally 汉语词典 is sorted in alphabetic order in Chinese characters, so it's common to see a 汉语词典 is used as a 汉字字典.

So, in China, there's not too much difference between 汉字字典 and 汉语词典. But the book of 汉语词典 is mostly thicker then 汉字字典.

辞典 means dictionary of phrases. Generally, 辞 may refer to some famous, well known phrases said by some dead guys or famous man. Well, like I've said it's not too much differences between 词典 and 辞典, but a book of 汉语辞典 is mostly thicker then a 汉语词典. You can also expect that a 汉语大辞典 is thicker then a 汉语辞典.

In English, it will be something like:

English 字典： (26 entries)

```
A    This is the first letter.
B    This is the second letter.
...
Z    This is the last letter.

```

English 词典:

```
A        Indefinite article. Also the first letter. e.g. a cat.
Apple    A kind of fruit. Green or red.
Cat      A white animal. two ears, four legs.
...

```

English 辞典:

```
Rain cats and dogs: A very big rain. Its rain drop is as big as cat or dog.

```

(Most 汉语辞典s include words and characters entries as well.)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Anyway, cat is not always white... but that does not matter...  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2012-04-04. Score: 2

The difference between 字典 and the other two is clear enough; the [Baidu page on 字典](http://baike.baidu.com/view/6983.htm) describes it as follows:

> 在西方，是没有字典的概念，全是中国独有的。 字典收字为主，亦会收词。词典或辞典收词为主，也会收字。  
> *In the West, there is no concept of a "字典"; it is unique to China. A "字典" aims to collect 字, though it also collects words. A 词典 or 辞典 aims to collect words, though it also collects characters.*

Non-Chinese languages lack a distinction between words and characters; Chinese differentiates between a 字典 and a 词典 because they have different goals.

The difference between 词典 and 辞典 is more subtle. A neither sourced nor particularly scholarly [Baidu post](http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/9202769) gives the following:

> 词典，比字多了一层：组词和释义；辞典，是在字典和词典的基础上增加了词的使用方法.  
> *A 词典 is one level deeper than a 字典: compound words and meanings; a 辞典 adds usage notes to the foundation of the 字典 and 词典.*

(This same post claims that the main function of a 字典 is to provide pronunciation and writing information for characters.)


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### Answer by username_4 on 2012-04-04. Score: 1

词（辞）典 is for compound words, eg 成语词典、汉语词典、etc.

字典 is for Chinese characters and meanings, focus on character's meaning, may also contain related compound words.


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