Also sharing: Pleco character-frequency dictionary

[jannesan]

Hi everyone,

the other day I found the thread with the word-frequency Pleco user dictionary (https://www.chinese-forums.com/forums/topic/56816-sharing-a-pleco-word-frequency-user-dictionary/) and started using it. As a complementary dictionary I made a character-frequency dictionary with entries for single characters, denoting the position in a character frequency ranking (contrary to the frequency among all words like in the word-frequency dictionary).

 

The sources I used were subtlex (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2880003/) and the list by Jun Da (http://lingua.mtsu.edu/chinese-computing/statistics/char/list.php?Which=MO). The entries show up both in the list of search results when you search for a single characters and in the DICT tab of a single character entry.

 

To add the character-frequency dictionary to your Pleco download the cfreq.pgb, open Pleco - Settings - Manage Dictionaries - Add, select EXISTING and select the cfreq.pgb file on your phone.

 

cheers,

Jannes

 

cfreq.pqb

[js6426]

This is an excellent resource!  Thank you!

[Weyland]

This is very much appreciated! Question though; would there be a quick way to create a flashcard system out of these? I don't like admitting it, but I have been neglecting my traditional characters. It would be nice if there was a way to learn the traditional version of all the characters based on their frequency through flashcards. 

[jannesan]

On 9/14/2019 at 5:53 AM, Weyland said:

This is very much appreciated! Question though; would there be a quick way to create a flashcard system out of these?

 

Yea, that should be pretty easy, depending on what flashcard system you use.

In Pleco you can just import a list of words and automatically create flashcards (http://iphone.pleco.com/manual/30200/flash.html#import).

I'm appending the text files of the frequency lists if you'd like to try.

 

 

junda2004.txt subtlex2010.txt

[mungouk]

Excellent effort...

How difficult would it be to add annotations to the dictionary entries to show the level of HSK vocabulary?

 

In other words, for learners to know... at my level am I expected to know this word?

 

 

 

 

[mikelove]

That's actually built-in, just go into Organize, tap the (i) button next to a category (on iOS) or long-press it (on Android), and tap the option to Add Tag; that tag it will then show up at the top right corner for entries in that category.

 

(we're working on adding this to the popup reader + search results too)

[DavyJonesLocker]

interesting comparison between Jun' Das list and the subtlex one for the character frequency. Some are wildly different in terms of frequency position   Some in the top thousand of Jun Da 'Combined' list can be a up to 2000 places lower in the subtle one. E.g 亦 is placed 501 in the JunDa Combined list and 2583 in the subtlex list. 

 

It should be noted that Jun da lists contain several categories imaginative, informative classic etc

 

Which begs the question: if trying to go through the top 1000 characters, which list should you choose! i have been using Jun Da's Modern list (combined from the categories of 'Imagnative' and 'informative' Chinese texts as the authors original categorised them), however they are still fairly different from subtlex. Subtlex would include a lot of the popular historical tv dramas 

 

Hence the often advertised "top 1000 characters covers 90% of all chinese" is quite inaccurate imo

 

Plod on ....

 

 

 

[jannesan]

20 hours ago, mungouk said:

How difficult would it be to add annotations to the dictionary entries to show the level of HSK vocabulary?

 

very easy actually, I will update this character dictionary with that when I find the time.

It would be a bit more interesting on a word level though, so I may also update the dictionary posted by BearXiong.

 

4 hours ago, DavyJonesLocker said:

Which begs the question: if trying to go through the top 1000 characters, which list should you choose!

 

I'd argue you shouldn't be going through any frequency list at all to learn characters, but use them only as an indicator if it is worth to learn a new encountered word/character. But you're right it would probably be best to answer this question if it is worth by choosing a frequency list based on your interests/use case.

[mungouk]

19 hours ago, mikelove said:

That's actually built-in,

 

Thanks @mikelove but I meant for the whole dictionary, so every time you look something up you see the HSK level (so you know if you "need to know it" yet).

 

Like MDBG does. 

 

The only flashcards I have are "Uncategorized" and pressing (i) on that says the category can't be tagged...

 

 

[DavyJonesLocker]

12 minutes ago, jannesan said:

I'd argue you shouldn't be going through any frequency list at all to learn characters, but use them only as an indicator if it is worth to learn a new encountered word/character. But you're right it would probably be best to answer this question if it is worth by choosing a frequency list based on your interests/use case.

 

 

 

 

I agree in principle not to go through frequency list unless there is a very good reason. Personally I found allocating time per day  to handwrite the top 1000 characters purely for the purposes of remembering them exactly and noting subtle differences e.g 已 and 己 to be very helpful. Every student is certainly going to encounter every one of the top 100) character within a year of study irrespective of the source material.

 

(E.g I was reading a book earlier and saw the term 大冢 I immediately thought 大家 but knew something did not look quite right, I think if I hadn't learned to handwrite a pile of characters I would have been highly confused)

 

Gong from 1000 to 2000+ I think the argument starts to lose weight 

 

Word lists: yes I agree not to go through unless you know you are/will cover the material.(eg HSK) Although again the top 1000 words is still worthwhile going through (in conjunction with your other learning) as it's highly likely a learner of  Chinese going to encounter almost all quite frequently within several months 

 

 

[mikelove]

1 hour ago, mungouk said:

The only flashcards I have are "Uncategorized" and pressing (i) on that says the category can't be tagged...

 

Go to Import/Export / "Install Premade Cards" in the sidebar menu to install our premade HSK lists; you can then create tags for them. Those tags will appear in all dictionary entries for those words, not just when looking at flashcards.

[mungouk]

That's brilliant @mikelove, thanks!  The tags are even automatically colour-coded as well.  

 

Now I wish I'd asked about this 2 years ago...

 

And it appears the bluetooth monkey principle is still intact!  Pleco never ceases to amaze me.

 

  

[jannesan]

@mungouk

 

I made another dictionary that shows HSK level, created a separate thread for better visibility,

check it here: https://www.chinese-forums.com/forums/topic/59040-pleco-hsk-level-user-dictionary/

[mungouk]

Thanks @jannesan! 

 

What does this provide that the procedure described above by @mikelove does not provide?

Am I right in thinking that it will tell you which characters you need to know, as opposed to which words?

 

 

[jannesan]

20 minutes ago, mungouk said:

What does this provide that the procedure described above by @mikelove does not provide?

 

I only saw that now, for multi-character words it will not provide anything new, actually the tags at the top are much nicer than having extra dictionary entries.

You're right, the only thing which you'd get out of it is that you will also see the earliest HSK level for all characters contained in HSK vocabulary.

At least some of the effort not being a waste

[mungouk]

Thanks anyway @jannesan

 

[kanumo]

On 9/20/2019 at 4:31 PM, mikelove said:

o to Import/Export / "Install Premade Cards" in the sidebar menu to install our premade HSK lists; you can then create tags for them. Those tags will appear in all dictionary entries for those words, not just when looking at flashcards.

 

Yes,works perfectly! The only issue I know have is, whenever I create a new card, that’s is already existing in one of the Hal lists it says it’s already there and i have to duplicate.. not knowing if this card is already in „my deck“ or one of the hsk ones..

[Toothplace]

On 9/4/2019 at 9:48 PM, jannesan said:

To add the character-frequency dictionary to your Pleco download the cfreq.pgb, open Pleco - Settings - Manage Dictionaries - Add, select EXISTING and select the cfreq.pgb file on your phone.

 

Hi Janne, both your HSK and the character frequency dictionaries have been "unavailable" to download from this forum. Can you upload it at a third party website that does not remove files after a certain amount of time? I'd be very happy to use this. Thank you!

 

[roddy]

Which specific file? The ones in this topic work fine, although I think you need to be logged in.