The Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (2nd ed) (Thumb Index ed) (Hardcover)

~ Marie-Helene Correard (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"revolutionary . . . there is a wonderful section explaining the mysteries of French small ads . . ..Best of all, though, are the explanations of French idioms."--The Independent
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

The Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary is the first bilingual dictionary to be compiled entirely from electronic databases of current language, making it the most comprehensive, reliable, and up-to-date reference available. The new edition provides the most recent vocabulary for both French and English, as well as additional new supplementary material, most notably, a new encyclopedic supplement that provides a wealth of information on French society and culture, including famous places, regions, acronyms, institutions, film, politics, much more.

Of course, the Hachette still provides the most comprehensive coverage available of the general, scientific, and technical vocabulary of contemporary French and English--with 355,000 words and phrases and over 540,000 translations. As an aid to students of French literature, the dictionary provides excellent coverage of vocabulary used by writers such as Zola, Dumas, Proust, and Hugo. There is also over 90 pages of practical guidance for those who plan to reside in France, including over 100 model letters and postcards, help in writing job applications and CVs, and a completely new section on using the telephone in France.

With more words and phrases than any other single-volume French dictionary, plus special features designed to help both students and travelers, the new edition of The Oxford Hachette French Dictionary remains the first choice in bilingual dictionaries.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 2014 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (September 4, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198600682
• ISBN-13: 978-0198600688
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.8 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,216,793 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A writer's dictionary, May 16, 2000

By	David M. Fishlow "Disgusted in Tunbridge Wells" (Washington, DC, USA) - See all my reviews

As a practical guide to modern usage, this dictionary can't be beat, even though because it was written by British and French editors with an eye toward the American market as well, there is a good deal of duplication, marked "GB" and "US" respectively, that can be a little awkward. For a francophone contemplating a piece of writing in English this would be immensely useful; in the opposite direction it is a little less so. On the other hand, because it doesn't limit itself to words approved by the Académie, it will resolve many a doubt caused by slang or franglais. Though le footing comes from English, not every English user would know that faire un footing means go for a jog. it seems a little silly to define le football as "American football GB, football US," but it is precise. Very well done and useful are the guides to drafting every imaginable kind of business correspondence in French, preparing a résumé, and other supplmenary materials. I admit that if I'd had my druthers I'd have bought a French dictionary with the definitions in French and some etymological information, but couldn't find on the web good advice on which to choose. Perhaps no other language has the equivalent of the Merriam Webster Tenth Collegiate. But I would like to know, for example, how croquer and les croquants became le croque-mort and croque-monsieur/dame. It is a grownup dictionary, giving full definitions for words such as tringler, apt to be missing or Bowdlerized elsewhere. Though its bulk and style can make it a trifle slow in checking a word quickly enough not to lose the sense of the paragraph you are reading, but that's in the nature of the beast. For what it is--a writer's and translator's dictionary more than a reader's or a traveller's--it is first-rate.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, December 17, 2003

By	Richard D. Lakey "paronomasiac" (Noblesville, France) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (Hardcover)

More definitions than you will ever need. Many examples so that you can understand how each word is used. The examples also bring out subtleties of meaning that should help you avoid making a fool of yourself. Many insets and extras. So thorough that you won't have to spend money on an army of books for conjugations, idioms etc. Don't get me wrong, this is not a complete stand-alone guide to the French language (who could lift it), but it is a damned good start.

Five stars means that I don't see how this could be any better.

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an incredibly useful and thorough dictionary., September 10, 1999

By A Customer

As a French major, I must recommend this book to anyone who needs a really good french dictionary. Not only is it great for difficult reading assignments, it's especially good for writing essays. Not only does it have just about every word in existance, but it gives you in depth examples of how to *use* all those words, which is just as important. It is a bit hefty, so I'd also recommend getting a paperback dictionary to take to class ;)