詞匯 / 词汇
cíhuì
The English word 'vocabulary' is translated into Chinese using several terms, most commonly 詞匯 / 词汇 (cíhuì). Wiktionary also lists 語匯 / 语汇 (yǔhuì) and 字彙 / 字汇 (zìhuì).
Meaning: set of words a person knows (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 詞匯 / 词汇 | cíhuì |
| 語匯 / 语汇 | yǔhuì |
| 字彙 / 字汇 | zìhuì |
The term refers to the set of words a person knows. To specifically refer to a person's vocabulary size or the total amount of vocabulary they possess, use 词汇量.
What does it mean word for word?
The standard term 詞匯 / 词汇 (cíhuì) is composed of 詞 (cí), meaning 'word/term' and 匯 (huì), meaning 'to collect/assemble'.
Which one should you use?
詞匯 / 词汇 (cíhuì) is the most common and standard term for 'vocabulary' in both formal and academic contexts. In contrast, 語匯 / 语汇 (yǔhuì) is a more technical term used in linguistics to refer to a lexicon or a specific linguistic corpus. Additionally, 字彙 / 字汇 (zìhuì) can be used to refer to a person's vocabulary or a collection of words.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 字彙 / 字汇 (zìhuì) is frequently used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
How do you pronounce it?
cíhuì
Did you know?
- When describing a person's vocabulary as 'rich' 丰富, Chinese speakers use the same adjective used to describe fertile soil or a lavish banquet.
- There is a fundamental distinction between the concepts of 字 (zì), which is a single character, and 词 (cí), which is a word made of one or more characters.
- To describe a digital database of words, Chinese uses the term 词库 (cíkù), which literally translates to 'word treasury' or 'word warehouse'.
Examples in context
- 我已经掌握了很多英文词汇。I have already mastered a lot of English vocabulary.
- 我们需要学习更多的中文词语。We need to learn more Chinese vocabulary.
- 我的汉语词汇量不够大。My Chinese vocabulary is not big enough.
- 我学了很多新的英语单词。I have learned many new English words.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vocabulary” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
