• Ensure you have a paper Chinese dictionary with a meaning-based search section. Most paper Chinese dictionaries have this section.

• Familiarize yourself with the terms and symbols used in the meaning-based search section. Chinese dictionaries often use codes and symbols to classify and organize word meanings. Some common examples include numbers, letters, or symbols in parentheses.

• Locate the meaning-based search section in the dictionary. This section is typically found at the beginning or the end of the book and it contains a list of terms and symbols used to classify word meanings.

• Identify the central meaning or concept of the word that you want to look up. It can be a word in your language that describes the central idea or a synonym of the word you are searching for.

• Search the list of terms and symbols for those that relate to the primary meaning or concept of the word. For example, if you are looking for the word "dog," search for terms related to "animal" or "pet."

• Once you have identified the term or symbol corresponding to the desired meaning, look in the dictionary for entries that fall under that term. There may be several words and Chinese characters that share the same meaning.

• Find the word you want within the entries that match the desired meaning. Verify the pronunciation in Pinyin and the corresponding Chinese character to ensure you have found the correct word.

Remember that searching by meaning in a paper Chinese dictionary may require some exploration and patience, as words can be classified in different ways, and you may need to navigate through different entries in order to find the exact word you are looking for. We recommend using the Chinesimple app dictionary, which offers faster and easier searches.