Everyone who wants to learn a language will need a dictionary, either digital or in book form. So what is the best Japanese dictionary for you to buy or use? In this article, we are going to do a little research and recommend some dictionaries for Japanese learners.
The Japanese language is a bit complex, requiring dictionaries focused on ideograms, romanized or kana. One of the easiest ways is to use an online dictionary, what we recommend is the famous desu, where we even wrote an article talking about it.
There are also electronic dictionaries that are complete but cost more than 200 USD. I think it's unnecessary since there are paid apps for mobile devices that can replace this electronics. I know the electronic dictionary has several advantages that these apps don't, but I don't think it's worth it.
The big problem is that many prefer to have a book at home to read and consult without using the internet. I just want to remind you that dícíonarío is a research tool and not a study. Using the dictionary too much to try to memorize words is a delay in learning Japanese. There are several types of dictionaries, some focused on useful words, vocabularies, topics and without citing query patterns.
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The best physical Japanese dictionaries
In terms of standard Japanese dictionaries we have the famous Michaelis which is available in multiple languages. It is usually practical and complete, in addition to being large. There is a Japanese-Portuguese and Portuguese-Japanese version. I don't know what the priority is, but if possible it's good to have both dictionaries.
The dictionaries of Michaelis are the main options of the few standard Japanese dictionaries available in the Brazilian market. Some turn to apps or other phrasebooks, but they are incomplete and don't have all the words, especially the ones we're looking for. Another well-known but expensive and rare dictionary is from Noemia Hinata. This one and the one from Michaelis are the best known and bought in Brazil. In addition to these we have a pocket visual dictionary that also has the English language, making it a good option.
Standard Portuguese dictionaries are running out. It only remains to talk about the differentiated dictionaries focused on vocabulary. We have one by Thomas P. Koziara with 20,000 words. Another Japanese dictionary is one that has 3 different versions focused on useful words in everyday use. Another recommendation is a built-in Portuguese-Japanese conversation guide with a concise 1500-word dictionary. We can also mention another vocabulary book focused on topics.
Before making any choice, we recommend looking at the book description, reviews and stock to avoid possible problems. There are few materials in English, which makes it difficult to create our list of dictionaries. Let's also leave the only book in English focused on kanji that I found.
If you want material focused on kanji, we recommend reading our article about RTK.
Japanese in English dictionaries
To finish the article I will leave some English-Japanese dictionaries for you. I can also leave other related materials and books entirely written in Japanese such as picture dictionaries, etc. Hope you enjoyed the article! If you want to share with friends, I appreciate it!
