English-Czech and Czech-English Dictionary [Hardcover]

Josef Fronek (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1314 pages
• Publisher: Bay Foreign Language Books (March 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8085927489
• ISBN-13: 978-8085927481
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Czech

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best Czech-English dictionary I've found, March 12, 2004

By 

Christine E. Nattrass (New Haven, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: English-Czech and Czech-English Dictionary (Hardcover)

I agree with the previous reviewer that this is much better than what has previously been available. It is the only Czech-English dictionary I've found that is written for both native Czech speakers AND native English speakers in mind. However, the praise needs to be qualified -- the competition is not every stiff. In one dictionary, I found "Mrs." translated as "mistress."

Strong points:
-lacks major mistakes in English
-includes commonly used English words (rather than archaic or obscure English words that are technically correct translations from Czech)
-notes for the user in both English and Czech
-grammar notes (including tables with adjective endings, conjugations of verbs, and noun endings)
-Czech and English abbreviations
-identifies the part of speech, irregular conjugations/ endings in the Czech side

Weak points:
-should have brief English grammar notes for Czech users (including irregular English verbs)
-should include style notes, for both languages, on formal writing structures and proper ways to address people
-missing some obvious abbreviations (like "in"=inch, FBI, USA)
-slightly favors British English in its choice of English words (though much less than any other dictionary I've seen -- it's functional for an American)
-Instructional notes don't tell English-speaking users that words with haceks come after words without them

What this dictionary offers is all of the features that decent French, Spanish, or German dictionaries have offered for years. If this were a German dictionary, I would be disappointed because of its weaknesses. Since this is a Czech dictionary, I am pleased because it is the best I have seen and none of the weaknesses inhibit its use.

I should also note that I purchased a copy in the Czech Republic for 690 Kc, or about $25, significantly cheaper than available stateside.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastický!, September 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: English-Czech and Czech-English Dictionary (Hardcover)

This book is spectacular! I was using Nine Trnka's concise 'dictionary' and this dictionary blows hers out of the water! Almost every definition has a phrase or idiom that accompanies it. The dictionary also contains a great deal of slang, for the more informal colloquial experiences in the Czech Republic. There's even a guide to Czech pronunciation, grammar tables and a guide to numbers. This book is outstanding. 5 Stars.