Chinese Character Web API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Dictionaries / No Auth Required Beginner HTTP
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)

Overview

Chinese Character Web is a free API providing definitions, stroke counts, and pronunciations for Chinese characters without requiring an API key. It is ideal for building dictionary apps, language learning tools, or any project that needs structured Chinese character data. No registration is needed, making it one of the easiest Chinese language APIs to start with.

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Beginner Tip

Query characters by their Unicode code point (e.g., U+4E2D for 中) to reliably identify entries. The API returns data in JSON format, so you can directly parse pronunciation and meaning fields.

Available Data

word definitions
pronunciation
synonyms and antonyms
example sentences
part of speech

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "word": "serendipity",
  "phonetic": "/ˌsɛr.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/",
  "meanings": [
    {
      "partOfSpeech": "noun",
      "definition": "The occurrence of events by chance in a happy way"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    "luck",
    "fortune",
    "chance"
  ]
}

Field Reference

kDefinition English definition of the Chinese character from the Unihan database.
kMandarin Mandarin pronunciation in pinyin romanization.
kTotalStrokes Total number of strokes used to write the character.
cp Unicode code point of the character (e.g., U+4E2D).

Implementation Example

const url = "http://ccdb.hemiola.com/";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Empty array response The character or code point queried does not exist in the database.
Verify the Unicode code point is correct and that the character is a CJK Unified Ideograph.
Connection refused or timeout The API server uses HTTP (not HTTPS) and some clients may block insecure requests.
Explicitly use http:// in your request URL; do not force HTTPS as the server does not support it.
Unexpected field names in response Field names follow the Unihan database naming convention (e.g., kMandarin, kDefinition).
Refer to the Unicode Unihan database documentation for a full list of valid field names.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 20/20
🔒 Security 0/15
🛠 Developer XP 12/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 165ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS NO
CORS NO
Category Dictionaries
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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