Understanding "百科全书" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 百科全书
• Pinyin: bǎi kē quán shū
• Literal Meaning: hundred – branch of study – complete – book
• Primary Meaning: encyclopedia (a comprehensive reference work containing articles on a wide range of subjects)

2. In-depth Explanation

• Context and Usage:
  This word is used exactly like "encyclopedia" in English. It refers to a book or a digital resource that provides summarized knowledge either across all fields or specialized in one particular field. You can use it in both formal and informal contexts when talking about reference materials. The term does not carry any special nuances; it is neutral and factual. For example, parents might buy a children's encyclopedia (儿童百科全书) for their kids, or a scholar might consult a specialized encyclopedia of philosophy (哲学百科全书).

• Character Breakdown:

• 百 (bǎi): literally "hundred". In classical Chinese, it often symbolizes "numerous" or "all".
• 科 (kē): "branch of study" or "subject", as in 科学 (kēxué, science) or 科目 (kēmù, subject).
• 全 (quán): "complete", "whole", "all".
• 书 (shū): "book".
  Together, the characters paint a picture of a "book that covers all subjects completely".

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 我买了一本儿童百科全书。
• Pinyin: Wǒ mǎi le yī běn értóng bǎikēquánshū.

• English: I bought a children's encyclopedia.

• Chinese: 维基百科是一部自由的网络百科全书。

• Pinyin: Wéijībǎikē shì yī bù zìyóu de wǎngluò bǎikēquánshū.

• English: Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia.

• Chinese: 遇到不懂的问题时，他喜欢查阅百科全书。

• Pinyin: Yù dào bù dǒng de wèntí shí, tā xǐhuan cháyuè bǎikēquánshū.
• English: When encountering questions he doesn't understand, he likes to consult an encyclopedia.

Cultural Notes

The concept of an encyclopedia has a long history in China. The most famous historical example is the Yongle Encyclopedia (永乐大典, Yǒnglè Dàdiǎn), commissioned by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty in the early 15th century. It was an enormous manuscript compilation covering all known subjects, and it remains one of the largest paper-based encyclopedias ever created. Today, the word 百科全书 is also commonly used in the names of online platforms, most notably 百度百科 (Bǎidù Bǎikē, Baidu Encyclopedia), which is China's largest user-generated online encyclopedia, similar to Wikipedia.

Conclusion

Remember 百科全书 as a direct equivalent of the English "encyclopedia". The literal breakdown — "hundred-subject-complete-book" — helps you visualize a book that comprehensively covers all branches of knowledge. When you see or hear this word, think of a reliable, all-in-one reference source.