

Why? Because many languages, including Chinese, don’t offer a direct translation of words we know in English (or vice versa). They let us rely on the translation which might be problematic. Now, there’s something important I don’t want to create any misunderstanding around! There’s no doubt that any new learner needs a bilingual dictionary.īut these dictionaries can make us lazy about thinking in another language. There’s a good chance that if you ask any fluent speaker of another language about bilingual dictionaries, they would encourage you to stop using them or use them as little as possible.

When looking for an online dictionary, be sure you know exactly what features or content you’re looking for.Īnd before we get into my recommendations, I’d like to point out the advantages of monolingual dictionaries when learning a foreign language.
#CHINESE ENGLISH DICTIONARY ONLINE HOW TO#
Today I’ll look deeper into how online dictionaries can help you along on your Chinese learning journey and how to pick the best Chinese dictionary for your needs.īefore we dive into the sea of online dictionaries, let me explain how and why you should have an open mind when learning Mandarin - or any language.īilingual and Monolingual Dictionaries and Google Image Search I even wrote a blog post on the best online dictionaries where you can find, among others, some of my Chinese dictionary recommendations.

I’m all for online and downloadable dictionaries that I can take with me on my trips because they’re handy anytime and anywhere. If you’ve read some of my articles, you already know I’m no fan of big, heavy, expensive printed dictionaries. Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
