Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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).

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.

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.

Given the large number of similar-yet-frustratingly-different words in Japanese, this kind of concise, example filled book is very welcome. A bit muddled on the difference between iroiro and samazama? Or ureshii and tanoshii? The examples and directions are all in Japanese as well as in English, which is useful to test/help your reading ability as well. It also uses kanji/kana, so you can avoid the childish reliance on romanji. Included also are a few small essays/paragraphs in Japanese as well as a few charts with information about topics in Japanese. These are nice although a bit generic if you've already taken the time to read Japanese at an intermediate level.

However, keep in mind that this is a book designed to help you learn the difference between like words - it shouldn't be thought of as an all-purpose dictionary, as it only lists words that are paired with easily confused synonyms. Use it as a supplement alongside a more thorough, inclusive dictionary.