Customer Reviews

Clave diccionario de uso del español actual

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I found this (and especially the CD ROM version) an ideal Spanish-Spanish dictionary for people learning Spanish. At the time I had been studying Spanish for about a year and I found it distracting to keep "switching out" of Spanish into English when I came to a word I didn't know in a book I was reading, for example. I think you can pick up a language much more effectively if you learn the meaning of words in the same langauge and refrain from thinking in your native language where at all possible.

I have rarely, if ever, encountered words not listed in the dictionary. Each and every meaning of each and every word has a usually well thought out example illustrating its usage. There seems to me to be quite a good coverage of colloquial words not in the DRAE (there is quite an amusing example for the definition of "zurrapa"!).

In short, this purchase (first on CD ROM and then in hardback in my case) helped me more than anything to improve my fluency in Spanish.

It's really a shame that this gem of a dictionary is not readily available through Amazon. Clave strikes a remarkable balance of thoroughness and simplicity, which makes it the most useful and enjoyable Spanish dictionary I own.

There are not many Spanish words which Clave does not include. Each entry is defined in the simplest way possible, referring to the most common contemporary usages of each word, and every definition comes with a sample sentence in italics.

Students of Spanish should make it their aim to switch from an English/Spanish dictionary to an all-Spanish dictionary as soon as possible, and Clave is "the" dictionary to move up to. It's so well-written that students will find it enjoyable just to browse through at leisure to improve their vocabulary. People who are already well-versed in Spanish will find it very useful as well. The Manuel Seco and María Moliner dictionary sets are more thorough and certainly not to be dismissed (like Clave, they borrow liberally from the DRAE without being enslaved to it), but for most practical purposes Clave fits the bill of an excellent arm's-reach dictionary. Seco and Moliner are like owning a Humvee, the ultimate vehicle that will do just about anything but is rather large and difficult to park. Clave is like the Ford Taurus that gets you to work and around on errands efficiently, providing you with a decent amount of comfort and amenities along the way.

Now, how to acquire a copy? Clave is readily available in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries in either the paperback or CD-ROM version, and the paperback version seems to be available from some Amazon sites by special order. The book version is easier for just leafing through and building vocabulary, but the CD-ROM version is very handy as a reference if you work at your computer a lot. One little drawback to the CD-ROM version is that the entry box does not erase or reset itself like other dictionaries, i.e. to look up the next word you have to hold down the backspace button and erase the previous word-- weird. Speaking of the CD-ROM format, Editorial Gredos has just released a second version of Moliner on CD-ROM, for those who want its thoroughness without the bulk of the paper version.

I purchased this dictionary in Mexico City after seeing the recommendation of Garcia Marquez on the cover. I find this a fabulous buy. The etymological information and the sentences that explain the use of each word clarify subtle shades of meaning brilliantly.

Not only this dictionary indicates if a word has not yet accepted by the RAE (Real Academia Española, Royal Spanish Academy), but also in what places some local terms are used (useful if you deal with Spanish from several countries), gives you examples for ALL the terms, avoids circular definitions not sending you to other page, etc.

I found it quite useful. A good deal for people using real Spanish.

Clave Diccionario is one of the most complete dictionary of the Spanish Language. It is the one that much translators prefer for doing a good research and work. I recomend it.

Outstanding dictionary for people who read a lot in spanish. It allows the reader to continue within the language and not go back and forth between different languages. I find it much more enjoyable(and less confusing) to look up an unknown word without having it translated. The dictionary is quite complete, and the definitions include examples of how the word can be used as well as its origin. It is well worth the price.

Clave Diccionario is a very good dictionary. Particularly nice is its clear distinction of words you may hear and words you should use--e.g., privacidad (anglicism) vs. intimidad. I recommend it for all the reasons stated in the comments below.

One caveat, however, if you do obtain a copy. Do your darndest to check that the volume is complete. My copy, printed in March of 2000, is missing pages 77 - 124 and has duplicates of pages 125 - 172.