Dictionary of 1,000 Chinese Idioms

We're pleased to announce that Dictionary of 1,000 Chinese Idioms: Revised Edition is now in stock! In this new edition, each entry has both traditional simplified Chinese characters, pinyin transliterations with tone marks, and a new introduction by the authors.


Four-character idioms, or chengyu, are a unique part of the Chinese language, and many incorporate value and myths that have been a part of Chinese culture for over 3,000 years. The revised edition selects the 1,000 most frequently used idioms, and arranges them alphabetically by their pinyin pronunciation. It is a vital book for any student of Chinese who wishes to understand the important nuances of meaning that pervade the language and the culture. 

Marjorie Lin is a graduate of Providence University in Taichung, Taiwan and works as a professional Chinese-English translator. Schalk Leonard is a professional Chinese-English translator. They reside in the Pacific Northwest.

Available on our website, Amazon.com, and at your local bookstore!

New Dictionaries In Stock!

We have three new dictionaries fresh off the presses! 


Bengali (Bangla)-English/ English-Bengali (Bangla) Dictionary & Phrasebook
by Hanne-Ruth Thompson
















Czech-English/English-Czech Practical Dictionary
by Karen Von Kunes

Norwegian-English/English-Norwegian Practical Dictionary
by Laura Ziukaite-Hansen

Dari Practical Dictionary in Foreign Service Journal!

Carleton Bulkin's Dari-English/English-Dari Practical Dictionary has been reviewed in the November 2010 issure of the Foreign Service Journal!

"With President Obama's committment to redouble efforts in Afghanistan, language skills and expertise are in high demand. Dari, a relative of Persian and the main spoken language in Afghanistan, is especially important. This two-way Dari-English dictionary is one of the few up-to-date works of its type available.

While the dictionary is quite detailed and covers a lot of vocabulary, it remains portable and easy to read. The author also includes a guide to pronunciation, information about Afghanistan and even some Dari proverbs. At a time when the U.S. is trying to communicate with Afghans and win their hearts and minds, a practical resource such as this is a necessity."

All royalties from the sale of this book go to the works of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan.

Korean Dictionary the New Standard!

Jeyseon Lee and Kangjin Lee's Korean Standard Dictionary has received a wonderful review from the Midwest Book Review! They were featured in the February issue of "Reviewer's Bookwatch" available at www.midwestbookreview.com.


Jeyseon Lee and Kangjin Lee’s Korean Standard Dictionary is another example of Hippocrene Book’s commitment to no-nonsense guides for beginning and intermediate users. The authors have chosen some 20,000 common entries that do not require exhaustive definitions. Their usage examples are practical without being cumbersome. At just under 400 pages this dictionary is ideal for English-speaking travelers wandering the streets of South Korea or Korean speakers on a trip to America. The Korean-English half of the dictionary prints Korean in the original hanguel alphabet and Romanized; the English-Korean section follows suit. A pronunciation and writing guide is also provided. Any dictionary for beginners must be useful. Hippocrene’s Korean Standard Dictionary is an example of how to get that right. -- David Bannon

Available on our website and on Amazon.com!

Fish Tourism in Sicily

Giovanna Bellia La Marca was born in Ragusa, Sicily. She came to the United States at the age of 10, and has kept her love for Sicily alive with frequent trips to the island. Now a retired art and Italian teacher, she devotes herself to writing, cooking, entertaining, traveling with her husband, and enjoying her grandchildren in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. She is the author of Language and Travel Guide to Sicily and Sicilian Feasts, published by Hippocrene Books.

I first discovered the beauty of the coastline of Sicily when I flew over it and saw the clear emerald waters against the craggy coast framed by the window of the airplane.Sicily is known as "La Perla Del Mediterraneo” or “The Pearl of the Mediterranean” . With its beautiful blue-green waters and magnificent coast, it has developed some very enticing tourist attractions. Its golden-yellow sandy beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. The appreciation and preservation of the coastline has led to a unique offering which is gaining popularity as a tourist destination in the form of Pescaturismo. Since its beginning, Fish Tourism has been very successful as a unique venture that gives visitors the opportunity to learn about fishing by going out to sea with experienced, local fishermen as guides.

In an effort to preserve the beauty of the land and the sea, the city of Trapani on the western coast of Sicily has been on the forefront of environmental conservation by setting up the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, a natural reserve that preserves not only the natural beauty of the coastline but also tries to keep the waters clear and unpolluted. To be close to nature in a clean and uncontaminated land and waters has certainly become a goal for many tourists who are looking for unique rewards in traveling to many of the unspoiled areas of Sicily.

The recreational initiative in which professional fishermen take tourists out to sea to have them experience and learn about the island’s most important industry is one aspect of Pescaturismo which is attracting people with very specialized interests also giving them the possibility of engaging in water sports which have become very popular in this area. Divers enjoy the crystalline waters, swimmers and snorkels delight in the clarity of the blue Mediterranean and in the richness of the marine life it supports. Scuba diving, explorations of the coast, and underwater photography are also sought after activities which attract visitors and locals alike.

Guided tours are available for novices as well as for the experienced who wish to see, visit, and explore the splendid coves, mysterious grottos, the reefs teeming with a wealth of marine life and the breathtaking cliffs rising out of the blue waters to photograph, draw or just to enjoy while creating lasting memories.

Helpful Phrases

Dove si trova il Centro Turismo? Where is the Tourist Office?

Che cosa e’ la Pascaturismo? What is Fishing Tourism?

Come si fanno le prenotazioni? How do you make reservations?

Quanto costa il biglietto? How much is the ticket?

Accettano carte di credito? Do you accept credit cards?

Useful Words:

Barca Boat

Traghetto Ferry

Barca a vela Sailboat

Pesca Fishing

Pescatore Fisherman

Scoglio Cliff, crag

Spiaggia Beach

Sabbia Sand

Piscina Swimming pool

Nuoto Swimming

Audio Accompaniments for Intermediate Chinese

Has watching too many Olympic sports broadcasts made you quick to pick up the basics of the language? Now you can test your listening at an intermediate level with the tracks to the audio accompaniment for our Intermediate Chinese!

You can download tracks using your web browser or subscribe to the podcast on Apple iTunes. For more information, please refer to our previous posting on the release of the tracks to Beginner's Chinese.

A Revolutionary Way to Learn Chinese Tones

Today we feature a special method for mastering one of the most challenging parts of the Chinese language--the four tones--written by Nathan Dummitt, also author of Chinese Through Tone and Color, which was recently published by Hippocrene. Use this simple technique to help yourself sound like a native before you head off to Beijing!

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When beginning to study any foreign language, one of the most important things to remember is that you will almost certainly be required to master sounds that do not exist in English. The rolled 'r' of Spanish, the high 'u' of German and French, and the aspirated 't' of Hindi are all sounds that do not have corresponding equivalents in English. Mandarin Chinese is a language that contains many such sounds, and it is especially important to be careful when recognizing and producing these foreign sounds because Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language. This means that a single syllable, such as "bao", can have several different meanings depending on the tone in which it is pronounced. There are four tones in standard Mandarin Chinese.

The first tone is high and flat, with no change in pitch.

包 bao - "to wrap"

The second tone starts low and rises to the top of the vocal range.

薄 bao - "thin"

The third tone starts high, but dips to the bottom of the vocal range, and then comes back to the top.

饱 bao - "full"

The fourth tone starts high and falls sharply.

爆 bao - "explode"

Many foreign learners of Chinese find that recognizing, producing, and especially remembering the correct tone for individual words is one of the most challenging parts of learning the language. While many introductory books seem to overlook this aspect of Chinese, correct tone usage is extremely important in order to be understood. Speaking Chinese without proper tone is akin to speaking English with only one vowel. While context and word order may occasionally allow you to make yourself understood, without a solid command of the four tones even a modest fluency with the language will continue to elude you.

In my book Chinese through Tone and Color, I have assigned a color to each of the four tones to assist the learner in accurately and consistently remembering the correct tone for over 100 of the most common words and characters. This mnemonic system has been successfully tested in high school classrooms and even non-visual learners have found that this basic association helps them remember to distinguish between the dozens of homophones in modern Mandarin. The book contains commentary and several example sentences for each major entry as also includes an mp3 CD with images attached to the files for portable learning.

Get a taste for what's in the book here.