Customer Reviews

Le Robert Micro: Dictionnaire De La Langue Francaise Edition Poche

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My French didn't really take off until I started using a French-French dictionary for my reading, and this is the one I used.

I cannot recommend it highly enough, but my enthusiam stems only in part from the high quality of this book in particular. Rather, in learning a language, having to decipher the definitions instead of having them handed to you makes a puzzle out of every word you don't know. So, after staring at the definition, when you finally realize what the word means, you're unlikely to forget its definition, since you figured it out yourself. I guess what I'm saying is that I found that when you yourself solve a riddle, there's a greater chance that you'll remember it. This is certainly not the case even with the best French-English dictionaries.

This is a compact dictionary, yet impressively complete. Also, it's designed for learners of French (though not necessarily English-speakers), so the definitions, while completely in French, are crafted to be clear and user-friendly.

The binding is excellent and the whole thing has a sturdy feel to it.

Perhaps the thing I found the most useful was that for every definition, the word is used in an easy, readily-apprehended French sentence, making it supremely easy to guess the meaning in the event that the definition proper was nebulous.

I have two gripes:

1. Bizarre particles found in your reading (like "eu," for example) aren't listed in this book, the way most French-English dictionaries refer you back to the root verb. So if you find something that you know is some odd conjugation of an irregular verb, this dictionary won't help you.

2. There is, alas, a printer's error with the '99 edition: Starting on page 359, the entire Introduction is reprinted upside down. Unlikely this would ruin your fun, though.

you need this delightful guide and friend!

The definitions are right at the intermediate learner's level.

The vocabulary is huge, yet every word is explained clearly and simply.

After each and every definition, an example phrase or sentence clears up remaining questions about the meaning and usage of the word for that definition.

French-English dictionaries are for beginners. Le Robert Micro is for French learners who desire the adult pleasure of leaving language beginnerhood permanently behind.

I spent a year in France, studying at the university level. My grammar and writing professors both agreed on one thing : Le Robert (even the Micro version, which I have) is the best it gets. It's written entirely in French (which is good...learners of the language should wean themselves off the English-translation method as early as possible) and is so clear-cut and simply written that you'll forget you're reading in a different language. A definite must-have for anyone serious about learning French !

I'm fully fluent in French and find the dictionary comparable to the dictionaries one finds in a high school class. This is to say, words more archaic or technical, one may not find in the "Robert Micro" just as in English one needs the unabridged dictionary for such words more rare. Taken for its intended purpose, namely, a dictionary intended for one reading at a high school level in French "Robert Micro" is excellent. Naturally, the more educated Francophone needs a fuller dictionary, as a college-educated English-speaker would also need an unabridged dictionary. Nevertheless, taken for its intended level, the "Robert Micro" is excellent.

This was the dictionary required by my Intermediate French II class. The definitions are all in French, which can be daunting at first but ultimately helps you learn to think in French. I still use an English-French dictionary for translation from English to French, and there are times when you really just need to get the English equivalent of a French word quickly: knowing that "if" in French is "yew" in English is much more useful than "arbre a fruits rouges, decoratifs". The definitions are expansive, the pronunciation is noted in IPA for each word, and you often end up learning synonyms and other related vocabulary.

I used it to write every French paper for the class I took last semester. It was very accurate and helpful, and I learned so much by looking up words and reading the entries. There are lots of synonyms and you end up learning a lot more new words. It was so much better to use this than a French/English dictionary. It has a nice font which is pleasant to read too. If you need to write any college-level (or beyond) essays...it's a very essential resource. It's worth every dollar.

Great dictionary! Perfect combination of portability and content, all in all a huge asset to my French studies!

Le Robert Micro is perfect for the advanced French student with 35,000 words and easy to understand definitions. This completely French dictionary often provides a better sense of a word's meaning than English/French dictionaries and is a good way to immerse yourself in the language. I love mine!

As far as French-French dictionaries go, this one is definitely superb. I am an intermediate-advanced French learner, and I have found that using an all-French dictionary has really helped to speed up the learning process through total immersion.

notable features in this dictionary include:
--many references to idiomatic expressions (which are often so difficult for foreign language learners to master) are included in the definitions .
--there's a reference section in the back that includes a pronunciation guide, verb conjugations, and a lengthy list of proper adjectives

happy Frenching!

This is a terrific dictionary for the intermediate student. I was recommended it when I studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. Now I require all of my students to purchase one as well. Enjoy!