dict.cn - new features

[Scoobyqueen]

I was wondering if anyone else has noticed the changes recently at www.dict.cn. The pinyin appears to have been done away with and you no longer get a host of suggestions if you type in a phrase which was quite useful. It seems you only get a definition for exactly what you type. I was going to write them a note but could not find a contact address.

[yonglin]

I noticed this too. It's actually quite frustrating, since I don't really like the nciku interface at all, and I haven't found any other online dictionary with similar uses/speed/convenience.

Although the dict.cn pinyin had to be taken with a pinch of salt, completely doing away with it is certainly a loss. I also noticed that I get the 对不起 message far more often than previously although I wasn't able to pinpoint exactly how their search mechanism had changed.

Now that you're mentioning it, I might want to write to them myself. Have you already tried the e-mail/QQ numbers on the 联系我们 page? I would think that they're mainly concerned with the community of Chinese English-learners, but who knows? I also noticed that the server was down/very slow for a while before the change, so it might be a software/database issue as well... (don't know a lot about these things).

[jbradfor]

I haven't found any other online dictionary with similar uses/speed/convenience.

What is missing from MDBG to you?

I have no involvement in them besides being a happy customer. I'm just curious what else you look for in a dictionary.

I realize they don't have example usages, but I use jukuu for that.

[Duncan Leung]

I second mdbg.net. I don't know why, but nciku never caught on with me.

I hadn't heard about jukuu before though- will definitely have to check that one out! =)

[yonglin]

I haven't really tried MDGB, but perhaps I will, and I'll get back to you! <_<

[renzhe]

MDBG is a great site and I recommend it, but I have to point out that Nciku and Dict.cn have far more definitions. At least with Nciku, this is because they combine several large dictionaries, most of which are not free.

MDBG uses CC-CEDICT, which is a free dictionary, and which is constantly growing, but it's still missing many words that you will run into with challenging shows and books.

[jbradfor]

Thanks renzhe, that's the type of information I like to know; I assumed that all the sites used more-or-less the same dictionary. I too have found some words that were not in MDBG, now I know next time to try the other two before I give up B)

[xianhua]

I'm an MDBG regular too. One of my favourite features is the chance to see the HSK level rating for words. This helps me to gauge where the word fits in with my level. NCIKU is great for character recognition, but I find it frustrating when a straightforward definition is often accompanied by an overload of information.

[SiMaKe]

Everyone, including me, has their favorite dictionaries. Because each dictionary has its strengths and weaknesses, one approach to consider is not limiting yourself to one reference but rather using several (different) references. Comparing and contrasting different sources can be especially helpful in understanding the nuances of a particular term. And, for me, examples play an extremely important role as well. So nciku, dict.cn, jukoo, engkoo and others are all valuable resources.

@jbradfor

nciku uses

"basic dictionary entries come from the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press Chinese-English and English-Chinese dictionaries, the Collins Chinese-English and English-English dictionaries, and the 现代汉语规范词典 (Xiandai Hanyu Guifan Cidian)".

So with MDBG's CEDICT, this adds a few more.

I don't know from which source they come, but nciku also returns an idiom now and then when searching a term.

It also has over 1100 usage notes.

[edit]

@xianhua

Just saw your note. I had this issue when I first started using nciku. In fact, I think initially I used it only infrequently for this very reason. But over time, I found that as I learned more about the layout and what is available (still learning), I found this site to be a treasure trove of information. On the other hand, I understand we all have different preferences and ways of working so I just offer this (to give it more time) as a suggestion to consider.

nciku also contains the HSK level.

[gougou]

One of my favourite features is the chance to see the HSK level rating for words.

I like that too but I found that frequently they don't agree with the HSK ratings I get from the Hanzi Anki plugin. Does anybody know which is more reliable?

[jbradfor]

I have not used the Hanzi Anki plugin, but I have been SRS-ing the HSK word list for the last many months. Often when I encounter a character I don't know, I go to MDBG to look for other words that use that character. And, for the word list I have (which I got off some link in some thread here), MDBG has been spot-on.

Of course, with the new HSK, I would expect a new HSK word list, so things might change.