Collins Gem Russian Dictionary (Collins Gem Series) [Paperback]

HarperCollins Publishers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0004586522 | ISBN-13: 978-0004586526 | Publication Date: May 24, 1996 | Edition: 2nd

More than 40,000 references and 70,000 translations.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian

From the Publisher

More than 40,000 references and 70,000 translations.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Collins Reference; 2nd edition (May 24, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0004586522
• ISBN-13: 978-0004586526
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.1 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,156,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hand-sized book, Russian is in Cyrillic, good value., February 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Collins Gem Russian Dictionary (Collins Gem Series) (Paperback)

It is extremely difficult to find English/Russian/English dictionaries that help with pronunciation by also providing Russian words in non-Cyrillic text. Therefore, this dictionary is as good as any. It is small, however, and hard to read without strong magnification.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but not the best, December 7, 2007

By 

The Conductor (Upstate, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Collins Gem Russian Dictionary (Collins Gem Series) (Paperback)

As an English speaker learning Russian, it is hard to find bi-lingual materials that don't assume knowledge of Russian, the lack of stress marks being the most common offense. This dictionary is almost completely even-handed.

The definitions are reasonably authoritative and the compact plastic binding durable and portable. I found it immensely useful when in Russia. The entries are fastidiously symmetric: I never found an instance where a Russian word was defined but not listed in the corresponding English entry. The Langenscheidt has some gaps in this regard.

It has some shortcomings compared to Langenscheidt. The print is too small to read under less than ideal light; it was impossible to look up something in a car at night. Perfective verbs are not cross-referenced to their imperfective complements. The thick-but-not-broad shape is not as back-pocket friendly as the Langenscheidt.

You must learn Cyrillic. It is *impossible* to represent Russian accurately in the Latin alphabet. If you can't memorize 33 letters then you are beyond anyone's help.

The Langenscheidt is better for my needs, and this dictionary was displaced from my pants pocket by it. But, given the price, I recommend buying both. The Collins is worth carrying around in your bag as a second opinion on definitions and for covering gaps in the Langenscheidt. And as a spare: don't think for a minute you can find a replacement while in Russia.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great buy!, February 6, 2006

By 

johnshade "johnshade" (Falls Church, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Collins Gem Russian Dictionary: Russian English English Russian (Gem Dictionaries) (Paperback)

By far the best $7 I've ever spent. This dictionary is amazing-- comprehensive, clear, and extremely portable. It has saved my life at immersion camp and in class. There are tables in back for irregulars and very extensive examples in translations for usage, complete with case use. Cultural notes are also quite handy. Though it lacks some more complex words, as well as general declension tables, its features well outweigh its problems. Best to use with a more complete and extensive dictionary at home.