Japanese-English dictionary for the Kindle
You can get a Japanese-Japanese dictionary for free on the Kindle, but if you want to have translations, I recommend this Japanese-English dictionary.
After having purchased and installed it on the Kindle, got to Menu - Settings - Device Options - Language and Dictionaries - Dictionaries - Japanese and select the Japanese English Dictionary, after which selecting a Japanese words normally pops up the definition from the Japanese-English dictionary. Very useful.
Thanks for the dictionary recommendation!
The dictionary has been updated and a new edition published since you blog post. I you purchased it you should be able to re-download the book again (for free) and get the newest edition.
“You can get a Japanese-Japanese dictionary for free on the Kindle”
Where from?
Select “Cloud” on the device, go to “Dictionaries”, download the dictionary. There are also Italian, Portogese, French etc etc.
If it’s not already pre-installed then you just need to download it. If I remember correctly just go to “Manage My Kindle” on your Amazon page and you will see a list of all the dictionaries available.
Hello
This is of much interest for me. I couldn’t find Language and Dictionaries in my Settings, only Language & input – when I press it I get only “add to dictionary” which adds words to your current dictionary (my kindle is in android tablet).
Asking kindle support I received this answer: “I understand that you want the pop-up dictionary to show a “Japanese to English” translation when you press a Japanese word/character.
Currently the “Japanese to English Dictionary” is not yet supported by your Kindle apps and devices. I apologize for the disappointment that this may have caused you.
At this time, we only offer an “English to Japanese Dictionary” for translation purposes in Kindle apps and devices.”
So, is it really working and how? Thank you very much.
Hi,
yes, I can confirm that it works. I have actually another Japanese-English dictionary. This one looks even better and has loads of entries. I will probably update the post.
I can assure you that it works without any problems.
Thank you so much for your quick response. The problem is I cannot find “Dictionaries” in my settings. As I said I have only Language & input – when I press it I get only “Select language” which changes the language on the device and “User dictionary” for adding words to your current dictionary (my kindle is in android tablet). Do you mean the tablet settings or Kindle settings (in which I couldn’t find Dictionaries either). Any advice? Thank you.
Hmmm, I don’t have my Kindle at hand, because I am using a Kobo recently a lot. And, even more, I don’t know about Kindle on Android. I have a Paperwhite and there I can download it from the store and set it up.
I am not sure how it works with dictionaries on other platforms. I know that in former times additional dictionaries did not work on iPhone app, so maybe also not on Android.
I will contact the original author of the dictionary and ask his advise.
Hi Nurit,
I’m the author of the dictionary. I can only confirm that the dictionary works on the Paperwhite and Kindle on iOS (specifically the iPad). I’m 100% confident that t doesn’t work on the Kindle Fire, but I’m not sure about the Kindle on Android.
I wouldn’t be surprised that it doesn’t work on Android though. When I first developed the dictionary Amazon didn’t support setting up custom dictionaries on the Kindle for iOS. They have only recently added support for this on iOS, and hopefully Android isn’t far behind.\!
Thank you very much for clarifying this.
I’ve received this answer from Amazon a minute ago:
“I understand that you would like to buy Kindle Paperwhite if pop-up Japanese English dictionary on that.
I’m sorry; Currently the “Japanese to English Dictionary” is not yet supported by Kindle Paperwhite. It is certainly not our intention for our customers to have anything but a pleasant experience. I completely understand that this feature definitely would be of great help to our customers.”
How do you explain this contradiction?
Thank you
Just received a correction from Amazon:
Firstly,I would like to apologize for the incomplete information you received in the previous correspondence.
I understand that you want to know if you could use a Japanese English dictionary as your pop up dictionary in a kindle device.
Yes you can use a Japanese English dictionary.You will have a dictionary collection in the kindle device and you can choose which dictionary to use.
In your dictionaries collection, you’ll now find dictionaries in Brazilian Portuguese, English (U.S.), English (UK), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese (simplified), and Japanese. If you have more than one dictionary for a language, you can change your default dictionary.
On kindle devices you have options to many inbuilt dictionaries and easy access features,which are better than kindle application for Android.You have a variety of free dictionaries which you can choose on kindle devices.
Also on a kindle device,If you purchase a book in another language, the dictionary and keyboard for that language will automatically download to your Kindle Paperwhite when connected to Wi-FI. The default dictionary and keyboard will change based on the language of the book you’re reading.
Further.once you register a Kindle device, we automatically add free dictionaries to your account so you can seamlessly look up definitions without having to purchase a dictionary from the Kindle Store. Because we offer Kindle content in multiple countries, these dictionaries also come in a variety of languages,including Japanese English.
Whatever the Kindle service meant – the message I got was “please buy a kindle eink device” 😉 As far as I understand it should work on Android. And it works on iPhone.
In case you tried, please come back and let us know.
As I said before I cannot find “Dictionaries” in android settings. I’ve found a thread dealing with this issue in a Kindle-Android blog, unfortunately, it’s too complicated for me, but I think it means that there is no simple solution.
Here is what I’ve found:
“Dear All,
it works! I’m working with kindle 3.6.x on android phone.
Of course You need the right prc file, I’m using the same eng-ita installed and working into my kindle touch.
– simply look into your sdcard/android/data/com.amazon.kindle there are some prc files, those are probably the dict files already downloaded.
– disconnect the sdcard,
– open the kindle app,
– open one book (no matter which) and request a definition in a language that you won’t use (germany in my case), wait for download to complete and exit from the app.
– re-enter in sdcard/android/com.amazon.kindle, You should get two more files blablasomething.prc and blablasomething.mbp
– save your dict file in sdcard/kindle
– open the app, synchronise and you should see your dict in the list of available books.
– close the app, come back to com.amazon.kindle dir
– simply save your dict files as blablasomething.prc and blablasomething.mbp overwriting the files downloaded by Kindle just before.
– You finished, if You re-open the app and you select the right dictionary (germany in my case) there is my custom dict working instead!
If You like, You can delete the dict from the list of the books.
Hi Valerio, all.
First of all, Valerio, thank you a lot! I confirm it is working!
Actually it is even simpler than that:
* Download your dictionary book from Archive and find it in /sdcard/android/data/com.amazon.kindle/files directory using last modified date (if it was already downloaded, delete it and re-download). Remember the name of prc file (1).
* Open any book (no matter which) and request a definition sin a language that you won’t use (Deutsche in my case), wait for download to complete and exit from the app (I’ve used task manager to kill the app to make sure).
* Go to /sdcard/android/data/com.amazon.kindle/files again and find new file or files for Deutsche or other language dictionary you’ve just downloaded. Remember the name of the prc file (2).
* Now delete these new files (.prc and .mbp) or one file (.prc) and copy all files named (1) with all extensions and rename the all to (2).
* Now open Kindle app and use your dictionary. You can easily switch between dictionaries, so I think you can do it with more than dictionary.
It works for me at least in 3.6.0.87 on Android 4.0 phone. Of course we will continue wait till Amazon does it properly and without hacks! It really important!”
Ouch, that’s bad indeed. Hacking the prc files is not a nice way. Thanks for letting us know. I hope at some point Amazon will fix the Android app, since the iphone/ipad app does have this feature already.
I lernt Japanese almost 40 years ago in france’s INALCO university and use it a few times in 2010 and 2013. I plan to go there again in 2015 and would like to improve it by reading Japanese novel in Japanese. This type of dictionary would be most useful.
Can I get it from Amazon.uk when living in France?
How can I get, from the same Amazon books in Japanese with increasing difficulities from children to adult books.
Hi Durin,
thanks for your comment. I am very impressed, having learned Japanese 40 years ago and restarting it after such a long time, congratulations.
You can get the dictionary also from the French Amazon site: http://www.amazon.fr/Japanese-English-Dictionary-14th-Ed-ebook/dp/B00AKIUDAY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1405590513&sr=8-6
In fact there are nowadays a few options on Japanese-English dictionaries, as I mentioned in one of my other comments above. Both of them work fine, as far as I am concerned (Paperwhite first generation).
Getting books of increasing difficulty is more the problem. I haven’t found any “easy” Japanese reading. Before using the Kindle to read Harry Potter, I tried myself on the “Neverending Story” in Japanese, since I have read it in German before. But it is still too hard.
It would be nice to have easily accessible Japanese books as eBooks, maybe ordered after school grade or JLPT levels, so that one can train.
All the best for your endeavors, and let me know if I can help you in any other way.
Norbert
Thank you very much for this information. but I have lots of problems in getting it, may be I will rest a bit before going ahead.
You might want to start with below manga on the Japan amazon site:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00EEPYOEU/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o03_?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I using app Jtranslate is very useful for traveling in Japan and learning Japanese.
This app allows you to translate kanji characters by image. You are also able to hold the phone up to a given text or set of words and have Jtranslate render a translation.
You can identify the object by the camera, scan the object, show the correct vocabulary. This app offers text and photo translation. While you can translate between English and Japanese, there are around another language pairs available.
Refer to hers: http://bit.ly/apps_Jtranslate_android
I already own a Japanese/ Engllish dictionnary. NELSON, most practical. But I am very tempted by this Kindle one.
Long time that I haven’t tried it, sorry. I have switched to Kobo devices and left the Kindle to my wife, who doesn’t need a dictionary.