<p>If dictionaries give various meanings, I always return to breaking down the word/phrase into its components and see if they make sense given your context:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>直 Zhí = straight, direct</p>
  
  <p>接 Jiē = meet, connect, join</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So, it would seem that 直接 (direct connect) could mean both straightforward and relevant (hence why dictionaries give both as results). </p>

<p>But to remove all ambiguity, I would try searching other better fitting words... In this case, I would use 相关 xiāng guān = interrelated </p>

<p>Again, </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>相 xiāng = mutually</p>
  
  <p>关 guān ＝　to involve, to concern </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Some examples:</p>

<ul>
<li>这些事情是特别相关 (Zhèxiē shìqíng shì tèbié xiāngguān) - These things are particularly relevant</li>
<li>相关任务间的重叠时间 (Xiāngguān rènwù jiān de chóngdié shíjiān) - Related tasks overlap time</li>
</ul>

<p><a href="http://www.ichacha.net/zaoju/%E7%9B%B8%E5%85%B3.html" rel="nofollow">More examples here</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-22T16:18:31.413Z
2013-07-22T16:23:34.050Z
2013-07-22T16:23:34.050Z
user3871
<p>Here are some other options I go for if I don't understand immediately:</p>

<ul>
<li>Go to an online dictionary which includes example sentences in both Chinese and English  e.g <a href="http://dict.cn/en/search/" rel="nofollow">example1</a> <a href="http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E5%88%B6%E4%BD%9C/1319727" rel="nofollow">example2</a></li>
<li>Ask someone I know who is a native Chinese speaker (this is not always satisfying if it is a complex example)</li>
<li>Ask on an online site like this one</li>
</ul>

<p>Sometimes when I am reasonably sure of something, but I want confirmation I still ask on a site like this one because there are people with better combined English/Chinese language skill than anyone I know in person and it is always helpful to verify.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-24T02:51:54.800Z
2013-07-24T02:51:54.800Z
going
<p>You'd better read more books, especially poetry in Chinese, if want to understand or use Chinese with no difficulty. But even Chinese would find no proper words to express a phenomenon or his feeling. </p>

<p>The principle of translation into Chinese is 信(correct) 达(clear and coherent) 雅(elegent or polish), sometimes, it is hard to balance this three standards. In Chinese, a writer maybe try to find a proper word or character for many year. You can find this in this sentence in a poetry '吟安一个字，捻断数根须'.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-13T04:10:57.743Z
2013-08-13T04:10:57.743Z
Eden Harder
<p>For example, in a dialogue about global warming, this sentence fragment:
这个在中文就特别的直接...</p>

<p>I would translate to, "In Chinese, this is especially relevant". But 直接 translates to immediate/straightforward in mdbg and other dictionaries.</p>

<p>So I...</p>

<ul>
<li>Google/Baidu "直接" and a meaning that I think it is, "直接" and
"relevant"</li>
<li>Look it up in a Chinese only dictionary.</li>
<li>Google Translate</li>
</ul>

<p>What other steps do you recommend?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-22T16:55:23.123Z
What is the context of the sentence fragment? Is 直接 standing in for 有直接的关系?
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-22T19:05:35.430Z
I failed to see why in a dialogue about global warming someone would say '这个在中文就特别的直接'. It seems _especially irrelevant_...
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-23T00:15:46.907Z
What's the full context of the sentence? It seems to me, from the limited context, that "direct/straightforward" is the best translation, as in *This is especially direct in Chinese*. That definition is in [Baidu](http://baike.baidu.com/view/595096.htm).
congusbongus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-23T03:00:49.520Z
Regardless of the relevance of the sentence fragment, it actuallly doesn't appear to be grammatically correct...
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-24T13:41:25.303Z
I reread the dialogue that prompted this problem and my bad, the meaning 直接, straightforward applies here. Sorry, I misinterpreted the context. It was more about Chinese, the language, rather than China. On the other hand, I have had this experience in other situations and the question still stands.
Steve
<dictionary>
What do you do when the dictionary doesn't give you a meaning that fits your sentence?
# What do you do when the dictionary doesn't give you a meaning that fits your sentence?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-22)

For example, in a dialogue about global warming, this sentence fragment:
这个在中文就特别的直接...

I would translate to, "In Chinese, this is especially relevant". But 直接 translates to immediate/straightforward in mdbg and other dictionaries.

So I...

* Google/Baidu "直接" and a meaning that I think it is, "直接" and
  "relevant"
* Look it up in a Chinese only dictionary.
* Google Translate

What other steps do you recommend?

**Tags:** dictionary
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What is the context of the sentence fragment? Is 直接 standing in for 有直接的关系?  
> **username_2**: I failed to see why in a dialogue about global warming someone would say '这个在中文就特别的直接'. It seems _especially irrelevant_...  
> **username_3**: What's the full context of the sentence? It seems to me, from the limited context, that "direct/straightforward" is the best translation, as in *This is especially direct in Chinese*. That definition is in [Baidu](http://baike.baidu.com/view/595096.htm).  
> **username_4**: Regardless of the relevance of the sentence fragment, it actuallly doesn't appear to be grammatically correct...  
> **username_0**: I reread the dialogue that prompted this problem and my bad, the meaning 直接, straightforward applies here. Sorry, I misinterpreted the context. It was more about Chinese, the language, rather than China. On the other hand, I have had this experience in other situations and the question still stands.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2013-07-22. Score: 3

If dictionaries give various meanings, I always return to breaking down the word/phrase into its components and see if they make sense given your context:

> 直 Zhí = straight, direct
>
> 接 Jiē = meet, connect, join

So, it would seem that 直接 (direct connect) could mean both straightforward and relevant (hence why dictionaries give both as results).

But to remove all ambiguity, I would try searching other better fitting words... In this case, I would use 相关 xiāng guān = interrelated

Again,

> 相 xiāng = mutually
>
> 关 guān ＝　to involve, to concern

Some examples:

* 这些事情是特别相关 (Zhèxiē shìqíng shì tèbié xiāngguān) - These things are particularly relevant
* 相关任务间的重叠时间 (Xiāngguān rènwù jiān de chóngdié shíjiān) - Related tasks overlap time

[More examples here](http://www.ichacha.net/zaoju/%E7%9B%B8%E5%85%B3.html)


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2013-07-24. Score: 1

Here are some other options I go for if I don't understand immediately:

* Go to an online dictionary which includes example sentences in both Chinese and English e.g [example1](http://dict.cn/en/search/) [example2](http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E5%88%B6%E4%BD%9C/1319727)
* Ask someone I know who is a native Chinese speaker (this is not always satisfying if it is a complex example)
* Ask on an online site like this one

Sometimes when I am reasonably sure of something, but I want confirmation I still ask on a site like this one because there are people with better combined English/Chinese language skill than anyone I know in person and it is always helpful to verify.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2013-08-13. Score: 0

You'd better read more books, especially poetry in Chinese, if want to understand or use Chinese with no difficulty. But even Chinese would find no proper words to express a phenomenon or his feeling.

The principle of translation into Chinese is 信(correct) 达(clear and coherent) 雅(elegent or polish), sometimes, it is hard to balance this three standards. In Chinese, a writer maybe try to find a proper word or character for many year. You can find this in this sentence in a poetry '吟安一个字，捻断数根须'.


---

