百科全书

• Pinyin: bǎi kē quán shū
• Hanzi breakdown: 百 = hundred; 科 = subject; 全 = complete; 书 = book

Meaning

Encyclopedia; comprehensive reference work.

A reference work containing articles on many subjects or many aspects of one subject. Used literally for encyclopedias and figuratively to describe someone extremely knowledgeable.

Examples

1. 小时候家里有一套百科全书，我经常翻着看。 When I was young, we had a set of encyclopedias at home that I often browsed through.
2. 他简直是个活百科全书，什么问题都能回答。 He's practically a walking encyclopedia — he can answer any question.
3. 维基百科可以说是互联网时代的百科全书。 Wikipedia can be considered the encyclopedia of the internet age.

Usage Guide

Context: education, reference

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 他是我们的活百科全书。(He's our walking encyclopedia.)
• 查一下百科全书。(Look it up in the encyclopedia.)

Don't Say

• 把字典说成'百科全书' (Don't call a dictionary 百科全书 — dictionaries focus on words, encyclopedias on topics)

Origin & History

百科 (hundred subjects) + 全书 (complete book). Together: a complete book on all subjects.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal