Customer Reviews

Merriam-Webster's Pocket French-English Dictionary (Pocket Reference Library)

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

 

 

This is the smallest dictionary I've ever owned. Just over the size of an index card (and less than an inch thick) this dictionary actually deserves the term "pocket." On top of that, it actually has a surprising number of words. While you wouldn't want to use it for studying, it's good to carry around or have sitting beside you while watching or reading something for quick reference. It's become part of my normal French routine and I wouldn't trade it for another dictionary at or below this size. It's just amazing.

In a size that is easy to carry in every pocket or bag, this little wonder helps check those unknown French words fast. The verb tables in the front make finding conjugations much faster than the big verb books - I save those other books for more in depth study. I own three copies, and I may buy more soon.

This French dictionary is just the size and shape I wanted, but it has two problems. One I should have expected, but the other came as a disturbing surprise. The first, expected problem is that the print is quite small, and someone with less-than-perfect eyesight or anyone in dim lighting will have trouble making out the words. The unexpected problem is that pages 291 to 354 are missing in the copy I received! That meant that I was without translations for all the English words between "indigo" and "resuscitate" in trying to make myself understood to French speakers in Quebec.

I probably should have demanded a refund, as the flawed dictionary is nearly useless. However, given the $4.95 price of the book, it was easy to consider it a throw-away.

I would definitely recommend this dictionary as it was the perfect size to carry around while trekking all over France and yet there were very few words we tried to look up that weren't in it. The conjugation and french numbers information in the front were a handy bonus.

This dictionary is accurately named: it really is pocket-sized, which was perhaps the main reason I bought it. It is adequate for the limited way I use it, which is to help me read news articles in French during my commute. However, even with my limited use, I've discovered some of its shortcomings. For example, its entry for "devoir" does not include the sense "expected" or "scheduled," which is used all the time in news reports. After I bought this, my daughter found my copy of Steiner's dictionary, which I bought 20 years ago for my grad school language exam. It is only slightly larger and maybe $1 more expensive than this dictionary and is probably a better choise unless you need something very small.

This is a quality pocket dictionary from french to english translation. Highly recommend it!!

I was hoping to have a quick reference guide to keep in my pocket when I went to Paris. This dictionary was awful. It was a 3-step process to figure out how to say something in French, and even then I wasn't sure of how to say it. There were also no lists of common phrases or questions. It was just about worthless.

terrible product. worthless. my copy had very weak ink. no matter. you wouldn't want to read anyways