![]() Note that students preparing for reading proficiency or translation exams may not be permitted to use online tools during the exam. Choices of online German-English dictionaries include: Beolingus with over 500,000 translations with examples, synonyms, and grammar hints Collins online dictionary providing detailed translations, pronunciation in 24 languages of at least two translations per entry, and usage examples from a literary and journalistic sources or Leo online has some 775,000 German translations into English, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and Russian with alphabetical, basic translations (with pronunciation) plus discussion forum and training tool. Here, again, it’s advisable compare entries above all for completeness, but also regarding contemporary jargon, nouns, verbs, and compounds. The major argument for online dictionaries is that they are don’t cost anything. Special lists of entries: Do the lists assist you? Does the extra listing make it easier for you to find the specialized information in the dictionary? ![]() Focus: Has the foreign reader been taken into consideration? Are the predicates and principal parts of irregular/strong verbs listed as main entries? Does the dictionary provide a sufficient number of compound nouns?Ĥ. Clarity of definitions: Does the dictionary supply authentic examples of modern usage in context? How are idioms listed? Are the translations themselves idiomatic?ģ. Clarity of physical presentation: Can you read the print? Are several print types used to clarify different meanings of the same word? Does the dictionary use colored lettering, boldface, italics, and a numbering system?Ģ. To test whether a standard dictionary makes it easy for you to find and understand its entries, pay attention to the following aspects:ġ. Ease in finding and understanding such entries should be the deciding factor in your selection. In each look up key words, including (1) contemporary jargon in your field to see if the dictionary is up to date (2)?several noun entries to see how gender and plural forms are presented (3) compound nouns to check the extent to which compounds are defined (4) irregular verbs, paying close attention to whether principal parts are listed as separate cross-referenced entries, whether haben/sein-auxiliary verbs are given, and how verb types (transitive, intransitive, reflexive) are denoted (5) common and field-related abbreviations and (6) proper nouns and names. It’s important to read through the introduction of the dictionaries you’re considering. Examples include: Langenscheidt’s Standard German Dictionary with 130,000 references Oxford German Dictionary offering 320,000 words with 520,000 translations, or Collins German Unabridged Dictionary with over 900,000 entries in the two languages. Serious students and researchers are better served by a standard, hardcover dictionary comprised of at least 150,000 to 300,000 entries in each language and prefaced with a clear outline of the system of entries and information that it contains. ![]() Novice readers soon become advanced ones and become frustrated with limited resources. Pocket dictionaries with 50,000 to 70,000 entries are handy for carrying around and looking up common items, but are stopgaps with drawbacks: lack of clarity (caused by small print and other space-saving approaches) and a lack of completeness. ![]() Since it’s difficult to recommend a single “one-size-fits-all” tool, you’ll want to consider a number of dictionaries of each variety before settling on the best one(s) for your purposes. Contemporary dictionary resources come in three forms: paper, online, and electronic. Finding the right dictionary for your purposes and learning to use it effectively are key to accurate translating, reading, and researching in German.
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