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How to Look Up Words with Pleco's Offline Dictionary

Last updated: 2026-04-30

Pleco
Pleco
translation · beginner
View Guide → is more than a camera translator — its core dictionary is one of the most comprehensive Chinese-English dictionaries available, and it works completely offline. Whether you're trying to understand a word you heard, read something you can't photograph, or prepare for a conversation, Pleco's dictionary lookup is the tool to use.

Setting Up the Offline Dictionary

Before you travel, download the offline dictionary so Pleco works without internet.

  1. 1. Open Pleco settings

    Open Pleco and tap the gear icon or go to More → Settings. Find 'Manage Dictionaries' or 'Downloads'.

  2. 2. Download the free dictionaries

    Pleco comes with several free dictionaries. Download the CC-CEDICT dictionary — it's comprehensive and free. The download is about 20–30MB. Once downloaded, all lookups work offline.

  3. 3. Optional: purchase premium dictionaries

    Pleco also sells premium dictionaries (ABC Chinese-English, PLC, etc.) that have more detailed definitions. These are worth buying if you're serious about learning Chinese, but the free CC-CEDICT is sufficient for travel.

Looking Up Words

By typing: Tap the search bar and type the word in English (to find Chinese equivalents), in pinyin (romanized pronunciation), or in Chinese characters.

By drawing: Tap the handwriting input button and draw the character with your finger. Pleco recognizes handwritten characters even if your strokes aren't perfect.

By pasting: Copy Chinese text from any app and paste it into Pleco's search bar. Pleco will look up the first word and let you tap through the rest.

  1. 1. Type or draw the word

    Tap the search bar. Type in English, pinyin, or Chinese. Or tap the handwriting icon and draw the character. Results appear as you type.

  2. 2. Read the dictionary entry

    Tap a result to see the full entry: the character, pinyin pronunciation with tone marks, part of speech, and multiple definitions. Scroll down for example sentences showing the word in context.

  3. 3. Hear the pronunciation

    Tap the speaker icon to hear the word pronounced. This is especially useful for tones — Chinese has four tones and getting them wrong changes the meaning.

  4. 4. Save to flashcards

    Tap the bookmark icon to add the word to your flashcard deck. Review your saved words later using Pleco's built-in flashcard system.

✓

If you hear a Chinese word and want to look it up, type it in pinyin (the romanized pronunciation system). For example, type 'nihao' to find 你好 (hello). Pleco accepts pinyin without tone marks.

Practical Tips

  • Tone marks: Chinese has four tones. Pleco shows tone marks on pinyin (e.g. nǐ hǎo). The speaker icon lets you hear the correct pronunciation.
  • Multiple meanings: Many Chinese words have multiple meanings depending on context. Read all the definitions before assuming which one applies.
  • Measure words: Chinese uses measure words (量词) with nouns. Pleco's entries often note the correct measure word — useful when you want to say "one cup of tea" vs. "one bottle of water."
  • Chengyu: Chinese has thousands of four-character idioms (成语, chéngyǔ). If you encounter one, Pleco has a dedicated chengyu dictionary with explanations.
  • Clipboard reader: Enable Pleco's clipboard reader in settings. When you copy Chinese text from any app, Pleco automatically looks it up — very convenient for reading WeChat messages or signs you've photographed.