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百科全书 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
百科全书bǎikēquánshūencyclopediaHSK 7, unknown, 25 strokes, rank #19116, Very Hard
bǎikēquánshū(bai3ke1quan2shu1) T3
  1. 1encyclopedia
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March 24, 2026

百科全书(百科全書)bǎikēquánshū(bai3ke1quan2shu1)

百科全书 refers to an encyclopedia, a comprehensive reference work containing articles on various topics. It is commonly used in both academic and casual contexts to denote a source of extensive knowledge and information, often organized alphabetically or thematically.

Strokes25Frequency#19116DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, encyclopedias have traditionally been valued as key sources of knowledge. The most famous Chinese encyclopedia, the 'Yongle Dadian', was compiled during the Ming Dynasty and reflects the importance of preserving knowledge.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant book (书) that contains everything (百, meaning 'hundred' as in 'varied') about the world (科, meaning 'branch' or 'subject'). Picture yourself flipping through its pages, discovering knowledge from hundreds of subjects all at once!

Meanings of 百科全书

bǎikēquánshū(bai3ke1quan2shu1)
1encyclopedia
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About 百科全书

百科全书Simplified
百科全書Traditional
25Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
本Measure Word
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

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Podcast: 百科全书

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AI Study Notes for 百科全书

Usage Notes

When using 百科全书, it is important to note that it is a formal term, suitable for academic discussions or written contexts. A common mistake is to use it in informal conversations, where simply saying '书' (book) might suffice. Be careful not to confuse it with similar expressions that refer to different types of books.

HSK Study Tips

While 百科全书 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to other words related to knowledge and education at this level. Focus on the individual components: 百 (hundred), 科 (branch), and 书 (book), to understand their meanings and how they combine to convey the concept of an encyclopedia.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 百科全书 when referring to a specific book instead of the general concept of an encyclopedia. For example, saying '我在看一本百科全书' (I am reading an encyclopedia) is correct, but avoid saying it when referring to a singular book with a specific topic.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 百科全书

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Idiom Spotlight: 百科全书

Chengyu Origin Story
Literal meaning:hundred categories whole book

Component Characters

百bǎihundred
HSK 16 strokes白
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科kēbranch of study
HSK 69 strokes禾
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全quánall
HSK 46 strokes入
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书shūbook
HSK 14 strokes丨
View full entry

How to say encyclopedia in Chinese

“encyclopedia” in Chinese is百科全书bǎikēquánshū

百科全书 refers to an encyclopedia, a comprehensive reference work containing articles on various topics. It is commonly used in both academic and casual contexts to denote a source of extensive knowledge and information, often organized alphabetically or thematically.

When to use 百科全书

When using 百科全书, it is important to note that it is a formal term, suitable for academic discussions or written contexts. A common mistake is to use it in informal conversations, where simply saying '书' (book) might suffice. Be careful not to confuse it with similar expressions that refer to different types of books.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 百科全书 when referring to a specific book instead of the general concept of an encyclopedia. For example, saying '我在看一本百科全书' (I am reading an encyclopedia) is correct, but avoid saying it when referring to a singular book with a specific topic.

Write 百科全书

百
科
全
书

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Frequently Asked Questions about 百科全书

百科全书 provides comprehensive articles on various topics, while a dictionary focuses on word definitions and usage.

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