Chinese Idiom Dictionaries
Chinese idioms (成语, chéngyǔ) can pack a surprising amount of meaning into just a few characters, and their meaning often isn’t obvious from the words alone. Use these dictionaries to look up unfamiliar chengyu, understand their meanings and origins, see how they’re used, and find examples in context. Whether you come across an idiom while reading or want to build your vocabulary, these resources can help make sense of expressions that ordinary dictionaries may not fully explain.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning may be different from the literal meaning of its individual words. For example, the English expression “piece of cake” means something is easy. It's not really about cake.
What Is a Chengyu?
A chengyu (成语) is a type of Chinese idiom, usually made up of four characters. Many chengyu come from traditional stories, historical events, or classical literature, so knowing the story behind one can make its meaning much easier to understand and remember.
Online Chinese Idiom Dictionaries
ChineseConverter.com’s Chengyu Lookup is a handy search tool for finding Chinese idioms when you know only part of the chengyu. Search by one or more characters, or specify where a character appears in the four-character idiom—for example, find all chengyu beginning with 福. Results are available in simplified or traditional Chinese, and individual entries provide additional information, Chinese explanations, and stroke order. English explanations are not provided, so this tool is most useful for learners who can already read some Chinese or who are willing to use it alongside a dictionary or translator.
Free Web-Based
ChineseIdioms.com is a learner-friendly 成语 (chéngyǔ) dictionary with more than 1,200 Chinese idioms. Entries include English meanings, pinyin, historical origins, and example sentences, making it especially useful for learners who aren't yet comfortable using an all-Chinese idiom dictionary. You can search the full collection or browse idioms by themes such as wisdom and learning, relationships, life philosophy, and success.
The site also has 300+ curated idiom lists that group chengyu around specific topics and situations, which can be helpful when you want to learn new idioms rather than look up one you already know.
Chinese Idiom Dictionary is a Simplified Chinese 成语 dictionary for Android with more than 22,000 idioms, including over 5,000 main entries. Entries include definitions, sources, pinyin, related words, synonyms, and antonyms, with example sentences and context to help you understand how idioms are actually used.
You can search by Chinese characters, pinyin initials, or wildcard characters, and the dictionary works completely offline. Favorites and search history make it easier to return to idioms you're studying. Additional content—including more complete allusions, sources, grammar information, citations, and examples—is available through the premium version.
Chinese-Tools Chengyu Dictionary is a large online reference with more than 30,000 chengyu (成语). Entries include the Chinese idiom, pinyin, and English meaning, making it useful for learners who already have some Chinese knowledge and want to look up unfamiliar expressions. Beginners may find it less approachable, as the dictionary is geared more toward reference than teaching chengyu through detailed English explanations and usage guidance.
Free Web-Based
成语词典 is a comprehensive Chinese idiom dictionary with more than 34,000 chengyu. Its flexible search tools let you look up idioms by the first character, pinyin, partial matches, character position, and even special character forms. You can also browse chengyu by categories such as animals, plants, seasons, emotions, historical classics, grammar patterns, and common situations.
Entries provide more than 10 types of idiom-related information, and you can save favorites or add your own notes and edits. The app also includes chengyu guessing and typo-correction games for additional practice. This is primarily a Chinese-language reference tool, so it is better suited to intermediate and advanced learners than complete beginners. Available for Android only.
For serious 成语 (chéngyǔ) lookup, Pleco’s Duogongneng Chengyu Cidian is one of the strongest options available. This paid Chinese–Chinese add-on contains about 8,000 chengyu, with detailed definitions, synonyms, antonyms, historical quotations, usage notes, and comparisons with similar idioms. Learners repeatedly recommend it for its depth, with some describing it as an essential electronic resource for studying chengyu.
To purchase the add-on: Click on "dictionary," then on "specialized" and choose Duogongneng Chengyu Cidian.
The definitions are in Chinese, not English, so it is best suited to intermediate and advanced learners who are comfortable reading Chinese explanations. It is purchased and used within Pleco rather than as a standalone website.
The Dictionary of Chinese Idioms (成語典) from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education is a free, authoritative resource for looking up Chinese idioms. Search by Chinese characters, pinyin, or Zhuyin to find detailed definitions, pronunciation, origins and historical sources, usage information, and examples. You can also search for related idioms, synonyms, and antonyms.
Best for intermediate and advanced learners. The dictionary is primarily in Chinese and uses Traditional Chinese, so it may be challenging for beginners. Its detailed explanations of where idioms come from make it especially useful when you want to understand more than just the English meaning.
Printed Chinese Idiom Dictionaries
500 Common Chinese Idioms: An Annotated Frequency Dictionary focuses on 500 commonly used Chinese idioms (成语), selected and arranged using frequency data rather than simply presenting a huge alphabetical list. Each entry includes the idiom in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, pinyin, a literal translation, English equivalent, explanation, usage notes, and example sentences, making it particularly useful for understanding how chengyu are actually used in context.
Best suited to intermediate and advanced learners, this is a serious reference and study book rather than a light collection of interesting sayings. Its frequency-based approach helps learners concentrate on idioms they are more likely to encounter, while the examples and usage guidance provide much more context than a basic idiom dictionary.
The Stories Behind 100 Chinese Idioms takes a story-based approach to learning chengyu (成语), explaining the historical tales and cultural background behind 100 Chinese idioms. The short stories are presented in Chinese and English, with illustrations and annotations that help learners understand where each expression came from and why it means what it does today.
This is a particularly good choice for higher-beginner and intermediate learners who enjoy learning through stories rather than simply memorizing definitions. Understanding the story behind a chengyu can make its meaning much easier to remember and provides an interesting look at Chinese history and culture.
Keep in mind: The Chinese stories do not include full pinyin throughout, so complete beginners may find the book challenging. Also, while the book is excellent for learning the origins and meanings of chengyu, not every idiom featured is necessarily common in everyday conversation.
