Customer Reviews

Oxford Russian Minidictionary

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

 

 

With 100,000 entries and translations, a phrase finder section, an appendix with spelling rules, declension of adjectives and nouns and conjugation of verbs, this little dictionary is handy yet comprehensive. It is just what I wanted!

When I started learning Russian two years ago at a local University, I got this pocket dictionary for the size. And in that regard, this dictionary has been very good. It is great for beginners because it's very handy and easy to figure out, having both an English to Russian but also Russian to English translation. BUT BUT BUT....As I am now an intermediate language student the book has started to show it's flaws. Like all dictionaries, there are words where the translations could be better (not saying they are -wrong-) but they could be better. I still use the dictionary because it is pocket size so as long as the user is aware of the faults of, really, ANY dictionary, this one is pretty good.

A nice little dictionary for the price, but I cant give it 5, or even 4 stars for a couple of reasons. First, its missing a lot of common Russian words. It does have some of the odd balls, but if you need a translation or meaning for some common words, there are many gaps. Second, the print is very very small and hard to read. I have excellent vision with my glasses so I can read it fine, but I would feel sorry for anyone trying to use this with less than perfect vision.

Typical of pocket dictionaries in general - really small type. A pocket magnifier is a great accessory. However, good dictionary, good value.

Having lost my Random House pocket Russian dictionary, a steadfast companion for many years, and then soon after the Russian printing of the Collins Gem Russian Dictionary I bought to replace it, I've now started using the OXFORD RUSSIAN MINI DICTIONARY. The dictionary portion is adequate for my needs ("40,0000 words and phrases, 60,000 translations"), but my needs are simple and I'm mainly concerned with colloquial use of the language. There are, of course, bound to be topics that the dictionary doesn't cover for you, especially any sort of formal literary registers, but that's why it's important to invest in a large home dictionary instead of relying solely on a pocket mini dictionary. I am pleased by its coverage of irregular masculine noun plurals in -a and in its clear listing of both perfective and imperfective infinitives.

In addition the to English-Russian and Russian-English dictionary, this contains a number of supplementary materials. These include spelling rules and brief coverage of declension of Russian nouns and adjectives and conjugation. There is also a list of irregular English verbs, though this dictionary is not widely sold in the Russian Federation and I imagine only a small minority of people using it are Russians learning English. In the middle of the dictionary, between the English-Russian and Russian-English portions, there is a small listing with phrases useful in tourism. I'm not sure much of this is going to be useful, since if you speak Russian well enough to have brought a dictionary along, you probably have sufficient command of the grammar to express yourself, even if through some amount of circumlocution.

These supplementary materials contribute slightly to the downside I see with the dictionary, for while it is very lightweight, it is much thicker than it ought to be. It will fit only into larger pockets, and takes up an annoying large amount of space in a backpack if you are using it in travels in Russia. I'm really missing my Random House dictionary, which was a couple of centimetres taller than either the Oxford or the Collins Gem, but much slimmer. On the other hand, one should commend the publishing house for its typesetting, which wastes little space on the page, as opposed to the disastrous Oxford series of pocket grammars.