Customer Reviews

Larousse Pocket Dictionary: French-English/English-French (French Edition)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm studying in Switzerland right now. I came to this country because it has 4 official languages, and I'm studying two of them. What that means for me is a massive backpack, and thus, when I went to purchase a French dictionary, I chose a Pocket-size one - in this case, the Larousse.

While its bigger brothers may be good dictionaries, this cut-down version contains literal translations of words and very little if any contextual information. Even if you know the word, the 1-to-1 match-up game doesn't work in learning foreign languages, and that's where this dictionary can lead.

I think it's most useful for reading the journal, esp. for students who have Romance Language background and simply need to know what a word is but have the capacity to put it into context. All and all, not a bad reference text, but nothing exciting.

One plus is that there is a black lining to distinguish the French from the English section, and there are over 80,000 translations contained in a relatively small, portable format.

A rather disappointing compact version of the much better larger format Larousse dictionary. I bought it for travel purposes, and was alarmed at how many French words I encountered on signs, in newspapers and elsewhere which were not in this dictionary. If you're serious about the language, this pocket dictionary is less than satisfying. Even for casual references, I found it less than helpful.

The Larousse Pocket Dictionary manages to walk the line between too much and too little. Many compact translation dictionarys have too few words. They are so compact that they become impractical. While on the other hand, this little book is complete while not exhausting. You will be able to find the words for:
---"Excuse me, I am a member of the Tunis Police Force and you seem to be parked illigally"
you will not however find the words for:
---"Confound it, Stop snorkeling your hot-n-tots at that Yak"
Happy Translating...

When I say compact, of course, I mean that it's not heavy. It's the size of a normal mass-market paperback, but it has pretty much any word you'll need on a normal basis. When I'm reading French internet articles or sitting down with one of the Harry Potter books in French, I can find just about anything necessary. Once in a while I'll have to check my massive Oxford-Hachette, but this is really a steal at $6.

Simply put, this is the best French-English/English-French dictionary I've found yet. Even in the more concise editions, there isn't often a word or translation missing. It is sturdy, compact, and easy to use, making it ideal for even the beginning student or traveler (and for the more advanced student, this company also puts out an excellent French language dictionary). Forget any other French/English dictionary--this is the best you'll find. Whoever says that this dictionary is anything less than superb and fit for its purpose ought to be stuck trying to learn Russian from one of those "Living Language" courses--eeek!

Ce dictionnaire vous offre une petite taille, un texte lisible, plusieurs significations et exemples d'usage où nécessaires, et pas mal de phrases utiles. Il suffit pour les nouvelles et pour la plupart des textes, mais pour les lectures plus littéraires, bien sûr, il faudra que le lecteur recoure à un dictionnaire comme Collins Robert French Unabridged Dictionary, 8th Edition.

Just as a warning for persons purchasing a "pocket" dictionary for travel.
This is not a dictionary that would fit into a "pocket" unless you had a backpack.
It is 7 inches high, 4 inches long and 1.5 inches thick. It may not be a full size dictionary but this was too large to be kind of dictionary that I need to travel with me in my pocket.
Other than the size, it appears to be a good product.

I've had my Larousse for almost 8 years now and it has served me extremely well. I've found it useful for my coursework in the U.S. and while living in France. It's thorough (80,000 translations), the translations are accurate, and I really like the phonetic pronunciation guides. Most of the entries are pretty straightforward, but it does include some examples, as well as some useful common expressions in French. Due to its size, it's not best for carrying around while playing the tourist, but it is great as a reference book. I don't know how many papers I've written with its help. I've gone through numerous dictionaries in numerous languages and think Larousse is one of the best makers out there.

My high school freshman really liked this dictionary for her French III class to aid her in writing and speaking.

Fairly easy to understand - contains a lot of information - not too confusing. I think it is a really good addition to audio lessons, or to find a quick phrase while traveling.