Kodansha's Basic English-Japanese Dictionary (Ide International Joint Research Project Series) [Paperback]

Seiichi Makino (Author), Seiichi Nakada (Author), Mieko Ohso (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999 | ISBN-10: 4770026285 | ISBN-13: 978-4770026286

Containing 18000 words covering everyday vocabulary and core professional terms, this text approaches the Japanese language from the point of view of a beginner student who may be unfamiliar with the conventions of a standard bilingual dictionary. All Japanese words are presented in kana, kanji (where appropriate) and romanized Japanese. Accent marks are added to romanized Japanese to demonstrate pitch, and concise explanations of basic Japanese grammar are provided. The dictionary provides guidance in understanding the dematics of both the Japanese work and its English equivalent. It gives pointers as to the correct equivalent for a particular context and a selection of samples.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Seiichi Makino, Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Illinois. Professor of Japanese and Linguistics, Princeton University. The author of A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar (with M. Tsutsui), Japan Times, 1986; A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar (with M. Tsutsui), Japan Times, 1995; Uchi to Soto no Gengo-Bunkagaku, ALC, 1996; Nakama: Japanese Communication, Culture, Context Vol. I (with Y. Hatasa & K. Hatasa), Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Seiichi Nakada, Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Michigan. Professor of English, Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, Aoyama Gakuin University. The author of Recent Development in Linguistic Theory and Implications for Second Language Teaching (coauthored), Bunka Hyooron Shuppansha, 1980; Aspects of Interrogative Structure: A Case Study from English and Japanese, Kaitakusha, 1980; "Aspects of Contrastive/Comparative Syntax and the Teaching of Japanese to Speakers of English" in On Japanese and How to Teach It (ed. by 0. Kamata & W. Jacobsen), Japan Times, 1990; Proceed Japanese-English Dictionary (with M. Hashimoto et al.), Benesse Corporation, 1988.

Mieko Ohso, Ph.D. in Linguistics, The Ohio State University. Professor of Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language, Nagoya University. The author of A Study of Zero Pronominalization in Japanese, unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1976, Japanese for You: The Art of Communication (with Y. Koyarna), Taishukan Publishing Company, 1988; Gairai-go no Keisei to sono Kyooiku (with H. Quackenbush), National Language Research Institute, 1990.

Wesley A Jacobsen, Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Chicago. Professor of the Practice of the Japanese Language and Director of the Japanese Language Program, Harvard University. Author of The Transitive Structure of Events in Japanese, 1992, Kurosio Publishers; "Agentivity and aspect in Japanese: a functional perspective," in Directions in Functional Linguistics (ed. by A. Kamio), 1997, John Benjamins; "Aspects of hypothetical meaning in Japanese conditionals" in Function and Structure (ed. by A. Kamlo and K. Takami), 1999, John Benjamins.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1508 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN) (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770026285
• ISBN-13: 978-4770026286
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.6 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,154,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I was looking for, January 26, 2002

By 

"yamasaka" (Dallas, TX (Okazaki in Aichi ken in April!)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kodansha's Basic English-Japanese Dictionary (Ide International Joint Research Project Series) (Paperback)

I bought this book at a used bookstore. First of all, the quality of the book itself was surprising. I have a small library of Japanese books, and this is just what I have been looking for. It can be used as a dictionary, of course, but it can also be studied from too. It is very to the point without the need to second guess the book. By having example sentences with proper usage for each word, it presents the actual usage of the language as a by-product of explaining the actual words. This is what makes this book so special to me. And as far as the first reviewer's comment about not even having the word violence, he MUST be missing a page. To quote:
violence n. the use of strong physical force, etc.
1. hageshi-sa (adj(i)) stem of hageshii vehement + suf. sa (ness)
extreme intensity of force or strength, either physical or emotional (vehemence, intensity, passion)
example sentence
2. bo[okoo - an action involving strong physical force intended to harm or injure (fig. rape), outrage, attack, assault)
bo[oryoku - strong physical force used to arbitrarily carry out one's intentions (brute force)
example sentence

I have never seen a book like this before. If you get any supplementary book to go with a good textbook, get this. I might also suggest Yookoso Revised Edition as that main textbook as well.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Japanese Dictionary, September 3, 2003

By 

"kdraad" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kodansha's Basic English-Japanese Dictionary (Ide International Joint Research Project Series) (Paperback)

This is a great Dictionary if you're planning to study abroad in Japan, or on a trip to Japan.

I just got back from Tokyo, to study Japanese for two months. I really wish I had this book. The words that you WILL NEED are in there. If you're hesitant to buy it because someone said they don't have certain words in it, it's false. The words you will need are in there, it also gives you examples how to use them, which is critical, because Japanese use the same words for many different things, and to know how to use it correstly can be difficult. This dictionary is the best I've seen. I went to Japan with a cheap dictionary, and it didn't help at all. The price is high, yes, but the money is well worth it. It is also a good resorce for those who are studing Japanese.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Basic Dict., March 26, 2000

By 

John Willard Goss - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kodansha's Basic English-Japanese Dictionary (Ide International Joint Research Project Series) (Paperback)

Kodansha rarely fails to dissapoint and this is no excepetion. Although the vocabulary listed is quite simple, the definitions and usage examples are some of the most extensive I've seen. Say goodbye to bad syntax with this dictionary, it won't let you use a new word wrong! However, my only complaint is the limited number of vocab, which is easily compensated for in other areas. If you're looking for sheer number of listed words though, try Kodansha's Furigana E-J/J-E dictionary...it's GREAT too! This dict. has an attractive presentation and overall a solid buy for beginners. Ganbatte yo!