Customer Reviews

Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary Portugese (Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionaries)

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i found this dictionary to be the most confusing one that i'd ever used. often they have many different possibilities for the words with no explanation as to context. i often encountered definitions that were either stretching the real meaning, or frankly wrong. while in brasil i suffered with this dictionary until i was able to get my hands on a better one. you'll find yourself looking up words in portuguese, finding seven possibilities, then having to compare the words to find the one that most closely fits.
this dictionary is terrible.

I got this dictionary when I was first learning how to speak Portuguese. At the time when I needed it the most (when I did not have a large vocabulary), this dictionary proved to be utterly disappointing. It simply doesn't contain much in the way of simple words and phrases that a beginner is bound to need.

I shelved this dictionary, and only began to pick it up again after I was fluent. Since then, it has proved useful, containing many more difficult and obscure words that you are likely to forget if you don't practice your Portuguese too much. I use it now fairly often when I write letters, and it has (finally) proved worth it.

If you're a beginner, or someone who is seeking to learn Portuguese, I recommend you get another dictionary, as this one will prove mostly useless to you. On the other hand, if you're already fluent, and for some reason you don't want a more comprehensive dictionary, pick this one up. It is durable, and it is pocket sized. It's just not comprehensive.

I bought this dictionary before leaving for my year as an exchange student in Brasil, and it was perfect for every use i had intended to use it for. Seeing as it is so small, (can fit in pretty much any purse) I needed another dictionary to supplement while reading novels, attending difficult classes or even watching the news. However, I found that the most frequently used words in everyday conversations were included and translated accurately, excluding most slang. It is great in social situations where other resources are not available, and it's virtually indestructible nature is a sure plus. It is nottt a phrasebook - it is a great dictionary with all that you can expect from one of its size.

In addition to having this great indestructible little plastic cover (the actual binding front and back) on this dictionary, it has just the right size to carry around with you wherever you go. It has practically every word you need as a traveler for a short visit to a foreign country. I would use something bigger or more substantial for a dictionary if I were working at a desk, but running around on a foreign vacation these dictionaries are great ...mine is portugese english but I know they have them for most other languages as well. The definitions are not long or wide ranging but the context is what you the speaker need to add to the equation in figuring which definition is correct for the phrase you're looking at. This dictionary is the way to go for a traveler.