Kodansha's Effective Japanese Usage Dictionary: A Concise Explanation of Frequently Confused Words and Phrases [Paperback]

Masayoshi Hirose (Author), Kakuko Shoji (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2001 | ISBN-10: 4770028504 | ISBN-13: 978-4770028501

One of the principal reasons for the difficulty foreign students have in mastering Japanese is the language's extensive use of words that seem similar in meaning, but are used very differently in practice. This 768-page dictionary both explains the differences between hundreds of words and provides examples of how they are used in conversational Japanese.
Explanations are given in Japanese with English translations; sample sentences are written in Japanese and Roman characters, with accompanying English translations. To further aid understanding, the book includes 27 short narratives or dialogues that indicate how word usage is affected by context, helping students to distinguish some of the language's subtleties. With its clarification of often confused vocabulary, this book is an essential tool for serious students of Japanese.

o 768-page dictionary includes 302 comparisons of 708 synonymous terms.
o Explains words and phrases that seem similar, but have very different uses.
o Sample sentences in romanized and standard Japanese script with furigana, followed by the English translation.
o Three easy-to-use indexes in romanized alphabetical order, Japanese order, and by category.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

See "Look inside this book" for scans of pages from the dictionary. The two pages shown there deal with the differences between iremono, utsuwa, and yooki, when they mean container or receptacle. The discussion of yooki carries on to a third page, which is not shown.

About the Author

Masayoshi Hirose is a Kodansha International author.

Product Details

• Paperback: 753 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA (September 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770028504
• ISBN-13: 978-4770028501
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #711,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dictionary of the Subtle Nuances of Japanese Words, August 7, 2001

By 

Elijah Zupancic (Kawasaki, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kodansha's Effective Japanese Usage Dictionary: A Concise Explanation of Frequently Confused Words and Phrases (Paperback)

When I stumbled across this book in a bookstore in Japan I was pleasantly surprised. Up till that point, everyday I struggled to answer my questions regarding words with similar meanings in Japanese. This book helped to answer many of my questions by grouping those words with related meanings into different sections and by providing detailed explanation about how the various words�f meanings differ. For example, this book groups the words like �gsamui,�h �gtsumetai,�h and �gsuzushii�h into a single section, and then gives you examples for the correct usage of each word. Also, in my opinion the words and grammar contained in this book are not for beginners, but rather for intermediate to advanced students who are struggling with the subtleties of the language. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that this book is bilingual; all text has equivalent Japanese and English copies, so this book is good for Japanese native speakers as well. Overall, I have no complaints about this book (except that I wish it was published earlier when I started studying Japanese).

4.0 out of 5 stars Another book for my collection., January 15, 2012

By 

Cynthia - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kodansha's Effective Japanese Usage Dictionary: A Concise Explanation of Frequently Confused Words and Phrases (Paperback)

I have been disappointed with some books i've ordered to learn Japanese. This one was very useful and effective. It's not hard to follow. Good for people who already know some Japanese.

2.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, but read on for a recommendation, October 25, 2010

By 

Jackal (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Kodansha's Effective Japanese Usage Dictionary: A Concise Explanation of Frequently Confused Words and Phrases (Paperback)

I find this book a massive overkill. Too much information and too many examples on each usage situation. I prefer Kodansha's Basic English-Japanese Dictionary (Japanese for Busy People) that also gives similar usage information. By being more concise they are able to cover more ground.

Having offered this critique I have to recommend two of the second author's other books, which I have found very useful. I've read Japanese Core Words and Phrases: Things You Can't Find in a Dictionary (Power Japanese Series) (Kodansha's Children's Classics) and Basic Connections: Making Your Japanese Flow (Power Japanese Series) (Kodansha's Children's Classics). They are both definitely worth getting.