When I encounter a new or challenging word, I often want to know if it is in the HSK syllabus.
Pleco doesn't appear to have this functionality, but it can be emulated through creative use of user dictionaries. On the definition screen, Pleco always displays an abbreviated dictionary name, followed by the word definition. By creating dictionaries for each HSK level that containing only words (with empty definitions), we can look at the displayed abbreviated name.
Pleco doesn't appear to have this functionality, but it can be emulated through creative use of user dictionaries. On the definition screen, Pleco always displays an abbreviated dictionary name, followed by the word definition. By creating dictionaries for each HSK level that containing only words (with empty definitions), we can look at the displayed abbreviated name.
- Create six user dictionaries, one for each HSK level. Set Icon abbreviation name to HL1, HL2, etc. We are limited to three characters.
- For each dictionary, import text file containing headwords and 拼音 for the respective level. I downloaded alanmd's HSK Pleco flashcard file (http://www.hskhsk.com/word-lists.html), and split it into six separate flash card files using a text editor. Conveniently, the function to import dictionary entries also accepts flash card text files.
- Adjust settings of each dictionary so it doesn't use the dictionaries for lookups. Uncheck the Use in Reader, Use in OCR and Use in Compounds options.
- Organise dictionary order so the HSK dictionaries so that they appear immediately after the first dictionary (e.g. Tuttle or whatever is preferred). This ensures that when you look up a word that exists in the HSK syllabus, the HSK Level e.g. 'HL1' will be displayed close to the top of the screen. If the HSK dictionaries are given highest priority, the HL1 text will appear at the top of the definition screen, but Pleco will want to use the HSK dictionary definitions (which are empty). Unfortunately checking the Search only as fallback option doesn't help.
