Sukotto
Regular Member
Registered: July 2003
Location: not Africa's great lakes region
Posts: 722
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Review Date: February 20, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $35.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Getting used to seeing lots of Kanji
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Cons:
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I am bias. I did notice at least one mispelling though.
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THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE ENGLISH-JAPANESE VERSION ONLY.
Back in the day I used to look up words in my Eiwa Jiten and wind up with totally wrong words in Japanese. Of course teachers warned me of this, but did I listen? Those Eiwa Jiten were written with native Japanese speakers in mind. So definitions would be various Japanese words & definitions that could represent that English written word. For example "save" in English could mean rescue; accumulate (money); or conserve. Other words have many more definitions. And with the definitions written in Japanese and no shortage of Kanji, it could forever to find the approximately the right word. That is with a good Kanji dictionary at one's side and maybe a Waei Jiten to recheck the word one is about to choose. Stick with the textbook, class, or words learned from Japanese friends was the lesson.
Now with the Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary it is written for the native (American) English speaker who is studying Japanese. So if you look up, say the word "pick", there will be definitions: pick (flowers); select; peck, poke (don't pick your nose); pull out. Also other uses of the word "pick on", pick out (while shopping); pick up. Words used in example sentences will be in Enlish and Japanese with furigana with the native English speaker in mind rather than the native japanese speaker. This is the key...
Of course it is no substitute for a friend that speaks Japanese as their first language or being surrounded by native speakers, but this is one of my two favorite dictionaries. (The other being Nelson's tome of Kanji)
The link above is to the hardcover version. There is also a smaller soft-cover version as well as the leather bound, which I just noticed I have. I hope this is at least a little useful.
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http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/25/anti_war_protests_begin_in_denver
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