Customer Reviews

Langenscheidt's Compact German Dictionary: German-English English-German (Langenscheidt Compact Dictionaries) (German Edition)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This dictionary simply has the most number of entries in the least amount of space that you can find. That means a portable, easy-to-handle dictionary that you can really use easily. The paper is thin, the fonts are a bit small (so if that is a problem for you, you might want to avoid this particular model) but this fat little 1.58" x 6.04" x 3.88" dictionary has 1,391 pages and will handle most intermediate and even advanced needs. They are claiming 120,000 entries--that's as many entries as one of their size bigger dictionaries I looked at and almost bought. It works for me!!! I have had it and used it a few days while reading the novel (or collection of Aram stories) "My Name is Aram" by William Saroyan simultaneously in English and German, and so far I haven't NOT found anything. If there IS a word you can't find THEN you can lug out the huge complete Oxford-Duden hard copy(or whatever) or log onto one of the several free internet German/English dictionary sites and find what you need there. This is the dictionary for me!!

As a graduate student in Humanities, I have been using the big Oxford-Duden as a main reference in my research. The big O-D is fantastic for this purpose, but it is way too big to carry around. So I had been looking for a smaller dictionary which fits into my backpack. I own Langenscheidt's universal dictionary to carry arround in my pocket when I'm in Germany, but that one's too brief to use in a more serious setting e.g., studying German at a language school. L's pocket dictionary (which is actually too big to fit in your pocket) is also a little too small. I have thus seriously considered the pocket O-D and L's compact dictionary, and L's is clearly the winner. Here are my reasons:
1. L's has pronunciation keys for german entries, while the O-D doesn't. (The O-D instead has pronunciation keys for English entries.)
2. L's has much more (30,000) words and phrases.
3. L's is much smaller. (They are both very thick. But while L's is a size of a small airport paperback, the O-D is much larger - it's about the size of a penguin classics, only much thicker. The O-D simply wastes much space - its pages have more space than L's, and its font is bigger. L's uses very thin dictionary papers, while the O-D doesn't.)
4. L's has much more idiomatic expressions (There are 15 of them for 'helfen' in L's and 2 in the O-D.).
My only problem with L's is that it does not have entry words in blue, as the big O-D and the pocket L's do. (The pocket O-D doesn't either.)

I have worn out more than one copy of the LANGENSCHEIDT GERMAN COMPACT DICTIONARY, but that's no criticism: these sturdy little guys are designed for mistreatment and mobility.

Let me map out the path of disintegration: the spine of the book eventually detaches from the signature yellow front and back panels. However, duct tape does wonderfully for extending the life for another year or two. My current copy is held together by nostalgia-inducing tape from a luggage repair shop in London Heathrow airport.

You don't want the compact LANGENSCHEIDT for home or office use, but it's perfect for taking to class, on the train, etc.

LANGENSCHEIDT quality speaks for itself, and is consistent across the range of languages its dictionaries cover.

You can't get a better compact bilingual dictionary.

I have found this dictionary to have the best content of all the small-enough-to-carry-around German dictionaries (this one is a little big to call a pocket dictionary), but potential buyers should be aware that the publication/copyright date for this dictionary is 1993, NOT March 2003 as advertised. Langenscheidt advised me that a new edition is expected in 2008. I would also have preferred a hard-back and sewn edition for a book this size that gets carted all over the place, but I don't know that other pocket dictionaries are any better in this regard.

As a German living in the US, I can only highly recommend this dictionary!!!
I find really everything I don't know but wanna know. Langenscheidt is well known in Germany, and believe me, I tried a lot of different dictionaries by other publishers so far, but this publisher is still the best! By the way, especially this edition as a well-sized paperback and not too heavy one allows you to carry it wherever you may need it...

I bought this book, because I came to the United States one year as an exchange student from Germany.
This book contains all the vocabulary you will need in everyday life and at school or work. It also has a very useful units conversion chart in the back of it.
The small size of the book makes the print quite small, but it is easy to carry around with you.
I can recommend it.

I have found this dictionary to be very useful. First of all ive been learning german for a while and i havnt found a word thats not in this dictionary. Its layed out in a easy to read and understand fashion. The biggest bonus for me was the very easy to carry with you size.
I would recommend it to anyone learning german!

Translations (German/English and English/German very accurate. Dictionary very useful for everyday usage of common language questions.

If there is a negative it is physical. The book is rather thick and a little unwieldy as a result.

I used this dictionary when I trekked through the outskirts of Germany. There are some inconveniences to it, for example, finding the gender and past tense of certain words is tedious. However, once you get the system down, its portability and quick reference capabilities are useful. I suggest the Harper-Collins series dictionaries for a more reliable and useful source, but this one is great for keeping with you on trips or in your backpack at college for quick reference. Recommended!

-Dr. Kenneth

I love this thing. I bought this to help me as I learned German at college and found it very helpful. If you are looking at this version for a travel dictionary that could easily be carried it is a little too thick for that.