Customer Reviews

New Routledge Dutch Dictionary (Routledge Bilingual Dictionaries)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the best Dutch-English dictionary I've seen. The other dictionaries I've looked at (and unfortunately bought) had one of several problems:
1. not all relevant information was included (the NTC dictionary doesn't indicate a noun's gender, give the relevant article, or include irregular plural formations, all of which this dictionary does);
2. the dictionary presumes a Dutch-speaker is looking up the words, and thus gives lexical abbreviations in dutch (i.e. 'zn' for 'zelfstandig naamvoord' = a noun). This dictionary very conveniently uses English and English abbreviations;
3. the dictionary isn't comprehensive enough to be useful. This dictionary is extremely comprehensive for its size and also contains current words with their popular meanings (i.e. fritje oorlog = fries with mayo and peanut sauce) as well as colloquial examples of the word (i.e. the 'blikken' entry notes that 'zonger blikken of blozen' means 'without batting an eyelid' which is otherwise nearly impossible to find out).

I highly recommend this dictionary to anyone. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because the English is British and it's sometimes confusing when I have to remember that 'chips' are french fries and to spell my words differently in order to find them (donut = doughnut, etc.). Significantly, this dictionary does generally (though not always) include American words where they are different from the British in translation ('apotheek' is translated both as 'chemist's' and 'drugstore').

This is exactly the type of dictionary that I like and the kind that I would recommend. Not only does it show the grammatical gender for all nouns, but it also has a list of conjugations for irregular verbs. The best part about this dictionary is that every word is transcribed in IPA, and if you're really interested in getting the language pronounciation down, then I would highly recommend it. For those of you who are not familiar with IPA, it stands for the International Phonetic Alphabet, where the pronounciation of each word is clearly marked along with the stressed syllable.
If you are looking for an inexpensive Dutch-English dictionary that contains more than just stupid words and phrases, then this is it. ALso, this edition is copywrited in 2003, so it's very modern it even has CD-ROM as an entry in it.

This is by far the best English-Dutch dictionary available. It has several significant advantages over any of the others I have seen for sale: 1) It provides the phonetic pronunciation for every word; 2) It provides the gender and how to form the plural for every noun; 3) It's up to date and contains many more recent words and usages; 4) For many entries, it offers useful phrases or idiomatic expressions using the word; 5) For English idioms that can't be translated literally, it often provides an equivalent Dutch phrase. The dictionary is comprehensive, but still a manageable size. It's attractive and the printing is clear and easy to read. Don't waste your time or money buying anything else; this is reasonably priced and worth every penny. I only wish it was still available in hardcover because mine has seen much use.

I found this dictionary to be useful up until the time I began an intermediate level language class in the Netherlands. It wasn't quite comprehensive enough, even for in-class assignments. My biggest complaint with it: many of the definitions given in the Dutch to English section were unfortunately not present from English to Dutch, making it great for looking up Dutch words that you don't know, but it left me frustrated when searching for the Dutch equivalent of many English words and phrases. That being said, I think that it is more than adequate to use as a pocket dictionary or for quick references. I use it when I read Dutch newspapers and novels. If you want to go for something with more in-depth definitions, invest in one of the Van Dale dictionaries. Their hefty price is well worth it.

A reasonably comprehensive dictionary that is best suited to English speakers who need to translate Dutch words. It is more comprehensive than online translations at Babelfish.altavista.com or Systransbox. The English to Dutch section is much smaller than the Dutch to English section, but still adequate for writing letters. Usually gives several definitions and examples of sentances. The examples are valuable because word meaning can change with the context.

My only complaint is it does not contain samples of regular word conjugations. It does have a table of irregular verbs, but I don't know Dutch well enough to know the standard conjugations. Like all language dictionaries, it does not give separate listings for standard variations, a real problem for beginners.

Best dictionary that can be carried. Gives "de/het" and plurals. Can supplement this at home with Van Dale Groot Woordenboek.

Could not have been more comprehensive for a fast look-up or understanding.

Yes, Van Dale can be (some of its versions are smaller than this) more comprehensive and is the be-all-end-all for the Dutch language but their pricing is also a serious show stopper.

I have planed a trip to Belgium to visit a friend I met on-line. She speaks Flemish and that is a lot like Dutch. I have been learning a few important phrases from her to use when I am there. The dicrionary has helped me tremendously in translating what she is saying. I have been reading and writing down phrases and trying them out when we chat. So far I am doing real well she says. The dictionary was well worth the price I paid and would recommend it to others.

Haven't come across a word I couldn't find. All the words I have looked up have a short and clear definition. I highly recommend it if you are studying the Dutch and/or English language.

I highly recommend this dictionary over some others that are available. It has pronunciation and other great qualities that some other dictionaries don't bother with.