1/01/2001

KDIC dictionaries for people LEARNING Japanese

    Well, I finally got around to creating my own KDIC dictionary files based on EDICT, appropriate for Japanese learners like myself (the one's currently out there are better suited to a Japanese audience). I've made small & large versions of each file, so people can choose what suits them best. I personally use the small English and Kana keyed dictionaries, and the large KanjiDic and Edict (Jukugo) dictionaries.


    Anyway, with these dictionaries and various software installed on my palm, I can sit in a cafe and read a Japanese novel without lugging around a giant reference and/or taking 5 minute breaks to look something up by stroke counts. It's not quite Rikai embedded on my retina, but it'll have to do 'till that comes out (and I would certainly hope to be able to read well enough by then anyway).

    But first, maybe it'd be worthwhile explaining what these dictionaries offer. Perhaps the best way is to look at a few random definitions
from the source files:


  1. English To Japanese



    NameKey TypeDefinitionsSize (kB) small/largeSize (lines) small/large
    TRE2J.PDBEnglishKanji Reading &
    Kana Reading
    613309526286115790
    Downloads:

  2. small

  3. large


  4. festival フェスティバル
    祭=まつり
    祭り=まつり
    祝い=いわい
    crime (scene of the) 現場=げんば
    Note: I tried to make a compact English->Japanese dictionary out of EDICT here, without garbage, and I think it came out rather well. Note that the original edict entry is "scene of the crime", which will also show up when looking up "scene".

  5. Japanese by Sound
    NameKey TypeDefinitionsSize (kB) small/largeSize (lines) small/large
    TRKANA.PDBKana (not ROMAJI!)Kanji Readings &
    English Meaning
    43121981773377948
    Downloads:
  6. small

  7. large
  8. せんせんげつ 先先月=month before last
    じゅんし 殉死=dying a martyr;following someone in suic..
    巡視 inspection tour
    マグマ magma
    Note: Why not Romaji? Well, for one, if you're reading a word on your palm in Japanese (you can do that, right?) but you're dictionary is in romaji, KDIC DA won't help much then, eh? Besides, it's easy to install a keyboard hack to allow Japanese input, or better hand, handwriting recognition.

  9. Japanese by Written Form
    NameKey TypeDefinitionsSize (kB) small/largeSize (lines) small/large
    TRKNJI.PDBJukugo
    (Kanji Words)
    Kana Reading &
    English Meaning
    60635811455079969
    Downloads:
  10. small
  11. large

  12. 愛着あいちゃく=love;attachment;covetous affection
    寝過ごす ねすごす=to oversleep
    割れる われる=to break;to split;to crack;to cleave
    Note: Here's how you read Japanese articles when you don't have them in electronic format (when you have it on your computer, you DO KNOW ABOUTRIKAI, RIGHT?).
  13. Go out and buy PALM software to do handwriting recognition
  14. Use this dictionary, which will tell you the English AND the reading (yeah!)

  15. Japanese Character Dictionary
    NameKey TypeDefinitionsSize (kB) small/largeSize (lines) small/large
    TRKDIC.PDBSingle Kanji
    Readings &
    English "Meaning"
    9818230106356
    Downloads:
  16. small

  17. large
  18. ショウ すくない すこし
    few;little
    シュウ
    week
    ショウ かつ がち まさる すぐれ..
    victory;win;prevail;excel
    Note: The other missing piece of the puzzle for gaijin learning Japanese has always been Kanjidic. Well, here it is. I haven't included all the goodies to preserve space--just readings and "meanings".



1 Comments:

Anonymous said...

What is the best available Kanji Recognization Software for Palm OS5?

9:43 PM  

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