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How to Perform a Search |
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How to Perform a Search |
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Basics English Pinyin Character Your Account ÖÐ ÎÄ Search Basics
1. All searches ignore capitals and small letters -- happy = Happy = haPPY
2. Before performing a new search, remove the entry in the old box. If you just searched for "happy" and now you want to search for "gao1" under Pinyin, delete "happy" from the English search box. We have left your old entry as a convenience in case you want to try to search for the word either with longer sentences or to switch between exact and fuzzy searches.
3. Sentence Length: Each search is limited by the length of sentence you want to see. The default is "1" -- the results will show just the words and the measure word phrases. Items "2" through "6" indicate a progress toward longer and more complex sentences. The searches will take longer, and on simple words will give you too many results for comfort. If you want to see longer sentences which include a common word, combine it with another word and do a fuzzy search. Don't search for "get", search for "get up".
4. Search Everywhere: The seventh item in Sentence Length is a special search which includes several fields. It is the only search which includes the short helping words in English -- such as "and", "to", "the". It should be used when you want to type in a long phrase such as "want to go to the store" .
5. Searches are limited to 200 items.English Search
1. Exact Search: The words or phrases you type in the search box will be matched as a set. If you type "happy" you will only get items which have the word "happy" in the search area. If you type "happ" you won't get any results because it is not a single word.
2. Exact Search: If you type "red hat" you will get only those entries which contain BOTH "red" and "hat" although not necessarily as a phrase.
3. Fuzzy Search: Type part of a word, or several words and the search results will show any entries which have any or all of those words. If you don't know how to spell a word, you might type in the beginning of the word -- "happ" this will give you "happy", "happenstance", "happily", etc. If you type in "go store" you will get any entry with "go" and/or "store".
4. Fuzzy Search: Each entry will be treated independently. If you type in "go store" you will get any entry with "go" and/or "store". Fuzzy Search is most useful when you are not sure of correct spelling.
5. Search Area: Sometimes you will find that you get entries which do not have your word in them. For instance, if you type "go" you will get sentences with "went" because that is the past tense of "go". Sometimes you will get words that are related but not exactly the same meaning -- synomyms. This is because the search area is not the same as the entry which is shown to you in the results.
Searching the Database for English Words and Phrases If you enter: Exact Search Fuzzy Search happy happy happy happ happy, happily, happenstance go go, went Chicago, go, gone, gown go store "I really want to go to the store.",
"We'll go to the store, OK? ""Where are you going?",
"The storekeeper opened the store."get out to drive out, to drive away, to get
(something) out
to get out of school ,
to get rid of, to throw out ,
"I am heading out now, I'll call you when
I get back. ""Along about now, he should be getting home."
"In the grocery store, I like to pick out my own vegetables."
"I'm very anxious about getting a job."
Pinyin Search
1. Exact Search: Spaces and tone marks can be included or excluded. You can type: Kan4jian4 / kan jian / kan4 jian4 /= kan4 jian /or kan jian4. It will make a difference in your search results.
2. Exact Search: Tone Numbers: If you type "jiao" your results will include "jiao1", "jiao2", "jiao3", and "jiao4". If you type "jiao4" you will only see those results for characters which are pronounced "jiao4".
3. Exact Search: If you type in "hao3 de" you will get "hao3xiao4 de", "jue2de hao3 xie1 de " -- any entry where BOTH syllables appear. Including a space indicates you are searching for two words.
4. Exact Search: If you type in "kan4jian4" with no space between the syllables you will limit your entries to those containing kan4jian4.
5. Fuzzy Search: The major difference between the exact search and the fuzzy search in pinyin is the use of the Boolean "OR" instead of "AND". In a fuzzy search if you type in "jiao3 zi" you will get entries with both jiao3 AND zi, entries with just jiao3, plus entries with just zi included somewhere in the item.
Searching the Database for Pinyin Words and Phrases If you enter: Exact Search Fuzzy Search kan4 jian4 Wo3 gang1 kan4jian4 ta1. jian4, bao3jian4, kan4, kan4 xi4,
Ni3 kan4dao4 wo3 ji4 gei3 ta1 de xin4 le ma?kan4jian4 kan4jian4,
Ni3 neng2 kan4jian4 na4bian1 de ren2 ma?kan4jian4,
Ni3 neng2 kan4jian4 na4bian1 de ren2 ma?hao ben Zhe4 ben3 shu1 hen3 hao3. ben4, ben3, hao4, hao3, ban3ben3, ben4zhuo1, cheng2hao4,
Wo3 xu1yao4 yi2 ge4 xin1 de bi3ji4ben3.bing bing1, bing3, bing4, bing1bao2, de2bing4 same wo xuyao ni de Xia4yu3 le. Wo3 xu1yao4 wo3 de ni2long2 wai4yi1.
De2guo2, wo3, de shi2hou, Gen1 wo3 lai2!,
Ta1 xu1yao4 yi4xie1 yong3qi4.
ji4suan4ji1 bing4du2 ji4suan4ji1 bing4du2,
Bing4du2 shi3 ji4suan4ji1 ting2zhi3 gong1zuo4.,bing4du2, chao1ji2 ji4suan4ji1,
Ni3 hui4 yong4 ji4suan4ji1 ma?,
Bing4du2 shi3 ji4suan4ji1 ting2zhi3 gong1zuo4.Character Search
1. You can either enter characters using a Chinese system such as Twinbridge or NJStar, or you can highlight characters in previous results on the search page and copy and paste them into the search box. Some browsers will not show the characters correctly when you paste them in the search box. They may not appear as characters or the search box may appear blank, they revert to their basic ANSI form. It works as it is, but it isn't very pretty. An example is given below.
2. Exact Search: If you type in three characters, or paste them in from previous searches, you will get entries which contain all three characters.
3. Fuzzy Search: If you type in three characters, or paste them in from previous searches, you will get entries which contain at least one of the characters.
4. In both Fuzzy Search and Exact Search, characters are treated as separate words.
5. Fuzzy Search is useful when searching for characters or pinyin only with a Sentence Length of 1, otherwise you will get confusing results. It is handy if you are looking up several words at a time.
6. Remember to remove entries from either the English or Pinyin search boxes before clicking the SEARCH button.
Here is an example of how a character search might look in some browsers. Look up "happy" and you find:
You would like to know more about how to use "gao1xing4", so you highlight the characters, right click, choose "copy":
Then you left click on the Character Search box, then right click and choose "paste":
Weird characters may appear, but they'll work. Do an exact search with a sentence length of 4 and you will get:
You'll also get other sentences showing you how to use happy. Then you will be more certain (but never absolutely) that you have the right translation of "happy".
Your Account
1. New Accounts: Once you have established a username and password, you may add words and phrases to the account and then, on the Review Planner, choose samples to study. You can print lists, use flash cards, and take quizzes.
2. Time Limits: If, after opening an account, you do not use it for two (2) weeks it will be closed. If you do use it, it will stay open unless there is six months of inactivity. That should be long enough for students who might take a language course, skip a semester, and then take the next course. If you wait longer than that you should begin your review at the beginning.
3. DEMO: If you simply want to take a look at the features of the Study Center or demonstrate to you students, please use the Username = demo, Password = demo account.
4. Account Limits: Accounts are limited to 1,000 items. After you have reached the thousand item limit, when you add new items to your account, earliest items will be dropped.
5. Privacy: No cookies are sent to your machine. Your e-mail address will only be used for items you request directly, such as your password.
6. Editing: If you want to change your password, e-mail, indicate that you can now enter characters or that you want to be quizzed on characters you may modify your account by going to Account Edit.
7. Password: If you forget your password, you can also go to Account Edit and enter your username and e-mail address and we will send your password to your e-mail address. Many people have three or four standard passwords that they use on the Internet so they don't have to remember hundreds of passwords. You may also use your e-mail address as your password -- most people don't forget that.
8. Standard Disclaimer: We are not responsible for the loss of information in your account.
Back to the "New User" form
http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Chinese/searchinst.html
Last update: December 2001
© Marilyn Shea, 2001
