Common French English Dictionaries
A few companies have made their dictionaries into well-known resources. The following dictionary brands are likely to be available in public and university libraries, as well as local bookshops. Of course, any one of these can also be purchased online.
* Larousse is a popular brand of both bilingual French dictionaries and unilingual dictionaries. Depending on your needs and your budget, check out either the Larousse Advanced French/English and English/French dictionary or the Larousse Concise French/English and English/French dictionary. Both are highly regarded and appreciated by learners and speakers alike.
* Harrap’s is another well-known French dictionary publisher. Like Larousse, they offer several different dictionaries, the most common of which is the Harrap’s French and English College Dictionary, which can cover traveler as well as academic usages. Alternatively, Harrap’s Everyday French and English Dictionary is an excellent basic resource for the beginning student of French. At a fraction of the cost, it is a good dictionary to start with.
* Webster’s, one of the most trusted names in American English dictionaries, also makes French dictionaries. For students and for those who dabble in French, these short dictionaries may be sufficient: Merriam Webster’s French-English Dictionary or the digital version for the Amazon Kindle.
Online French to English Dictionary
If you are working online or if you want to save time you would otherwise spend looking up words, an online dictionary can be a helpful tool. If you have a long list of words to look up, these sites can help save you time. Remember though that in most cases a printed dictionary is more thorough, so if you’re looking for nuanced translations, stick with one of the more expensive and thicker printed dictionaries.
* French Linguistics Dictionary: With the click of a button, switch from French to English and back again. This translating dictionary will save you lots of time flipping through the pages of a dictionary.
* Babelfish is an online translation tool. Use extreme caution when using this tool, as it cannot translate as well as a person. For example, elided words (j’ai is made up of je and ai) do not translate properly. However, if you know what Babelfish gets stuck on, you can skip the problem by simply typing in je ai and asking it to translate that way.
* Lexilogos is a favorite online dictionary because it offers almost all of the options on one website. Simply type in a word and then select the dictionary you would like it to use to look up what you typed in: French unilingual dictionary, or French to English dictionary, etc. You can even choose which French English or which unilingual dictionary for it to use. Lastly, to aid you in typing in the text to look up, there is a box of common French accents that you can insert into the typing box with a single click.
Using Dictionaries
When looking up words in a foreign language, it is important to determine what the part of speech is and try to understand the context in which the word is used as well. These two steps can greatly reduce errors in finding the meanings of foreign words.
When you look up a word in the dictionary, there are usually several definitions or translations that all fall under that one word. Knowing the part of speech can greatly narrow down the possible meanings or translations. In addition, if you understood the context in which you found the word, you can better discern which translations and meanings are possible, given the context in which you found the word.
Another important aspect of using French dictionaries is taking advantage of the fact that French dictionaries always give the gender of nouns. Every time you look up a noun, be sure to check its gender and make a note of it–you will need the gender for choosing correct determiners and for making words such as adjectives and participles agree with the noun.
French to English dictionaries can help sort out your French homework, phrases you read or heard somewhere, and all the many English words borrowed from French. If used carefully, dictionaries can make a great contribution to learning French and building your vocabulary long after you have become fluent.