Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary by Jack Halpern, 4770028555, Lowest Book Price Finder

Customer Reviews:

Useful and easy to use

This dictionary is a really good choice for the beginner and even for the not so beginner. To begin with, the SKIP method to look up kanji is really good. Instead of relying on the user identifying which is the radical of the compound, which can be easy in certain compounds but in others it's both very difficult to guess and time consuming, it relies on the user identifying 3 patters (left-right, top-down, or enclosed, apart from others that can't be classified that are given a group apart) and then counting the number of strokes in both parts. So for example if the component to the left has 3 strokes and to the right 5, you look it up in the left-right section, 3-5.

Once you get used to this, it really makes it easy to find any kanji. Sometimes, admittedly, the choice of, for example, considering one stroke as being on top or not is at least a little arbitrary, but in general this method is much better than the traditional reliance on identifying the radical.

Nonetheless, it's also indexed by radical index, and by readings, so it's a very complete dictionary.

All main readings, both ON (Chinese origin) and KUN (Japanese origin) are included, as well as some irregular/non-standard ones when they are important, and a great deal of compounds are also included.

The layout is good, it gives information on how to write each individual character apart from a myriad of data.

The only snag is that it is limitted to the joyo list kanji + some kanji used for names. The problem is that in Japanese there are some characters that are used frequently (including one kanji to write the name of the city of Osaka) that aren't joyo kanji so you can't find them in this dictionary, which is a pity. I think that adding some non-joyo frequently-used characters would have been useful, even for the begginer, because I have a feeling that sometimes the joyo lists are a little random and some characters are left out that should be and others included that aren't that important.

Wonderful

A wonderful reference, I use it all the time. I find the lookup system incredibly easy to use - in fact, I haven't learnt how the 'skip' system works, I just seem to be able to find any character I want by 'following my nose' so it must be pretty intuitive.

The addition of stroke orders is useful, as well as highlighting important characters, which means this can be used not only as a dictionary, but as a casual browse. Also, I'm currently studying for the Kanji Aptitude Tests and the dictionary notes which Joyo grade each character belongs to, so I can easily make a decision whether to forget a looked-up character (for now), or note that I'll need it soon, or learn it properly.

A little light on compounds maybe, so combined with Spahn and Hadamitzky's "Kanji Learner's Dictionary" you get a formidable duo (although note that Spahn/Hadamitzky do _not_ agree on stroke order/count and radicals with the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation - so use this one if you're learning Kanji for exams).

Absolutely invaluable

I'm only in the early stages of learning Japanese, so I really have no real need for this book yet... but I've found it extremely useful and have found myself browsing through it for pleasure on many occasions. This has to be one of my prized possessions, i can't wait until the day I actually need it. Hehe.

Like my wife: pretty, but occasionally useless...

I have written a review of this book before.
My version is the slightly earlier, and nicer leather-bound edition.

I do use the book now and then as a final year Japanese student, however, I use my chinese dictionary more...

Pros:

It's pretty. The Japanese are good at presentation and making nice looking books, everything down to the paper and fonts is very pleasing.

It's not too bulky.It's about 6"x4"x2", and not a hardback, so it is fairly portable.

It contains lots of combinations and example phrases and readings in a sort of logical order of relevance, but only for 2220 characters.

Lots of nice kunyomi readings for nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs.

I like the appendices: character changes, comprehensice radical listings, the newspaper frequency ranking is a bit pointless though...

Cons:
The author has unfortunately decided to reinvent the way characters are ordered - take "sora/kou/aku etc.." for sky/open etc..., you will not find it's radical listed as 5-strokes, but 3. This sort of thing happens repeatedly, and so, makes finding characters a drag, rendering his not-so-original searching system useless. You thus have to learn a distorted character searching system to use this book, and then put it out of your mind when you use any other character book.

The searching system is unoriginal and useless (i.e. not as quick as looking it up in romaji), and the author's copyright is frankly wasted, and a bit of an ego-trip IMO.

Lots of obscure characters for names and flowers only; OK, they might be in the JÃ´YÃ´, but I'd rather see them in an appendix, and replaced by some of the many more useful characters which are missing from the book.

It is NOT a dictionary. The book is designed for learning the meanings of characters, however the amount of combinations listed isn't really necessary for this purpose, so in a sense the book is masquerading as a dictionary, as you'll find yourself using it as one, and getting frustrated.
The author really should have made the book bigger to satisfy an effective dictionary role, and include more characters, and slip the ones with only one useful reading into an appendix.
E.g.: 2089 "Hyou/hyuu" has no readings, so why is it there?

I think as a Japanese student, I have this book an occasionally useful resource, as the layout is delicious: much nicer than others like Spahn and Hadamitsky, and the big ugly Nelson.
I'd still recommend it, but only because it's the best of a bad bunch really.

Though my big chinese dictionary is much more effective for finding obscure characters, you need to develop a familiarity with how to translate the sounds of Chinese to Japanese (Xing->KEI, Zhong-CHUu, Tiao->CHOu). This book CAN perform that function, but it comes with the previously mentioned caveats: most native chinese/japanese speakers will not find this book very user-friendly.

As for proper dictionaries:
I like the Oxford pocket Jap-Eng/Eng-Jap as a beginners one (for a 1st year at Univ.), then Langenscheidt's Jap-Eng/Eng-Jap one for a more complete dictionary. The Collin's Shubun one remains the best (because it lists the most useful translation only), although it's only Eng-Jap.

The best use I've found for Jack Halpern's fundamentally flawed "masterpiece", is to find obscure kunyomi readings, though it's usually my first port of call for FUKUGOu, as it gives a more accurate japanese reading for onyomi. For Onyomi readings and combinations I can't find (as a 4th year Univ.), I reach for my Beijing Waiguoyu Yingyuxing (ISBN 7-5600-1325-2).

Easy to Use romanized kanji dictionary

I bought this dictionary because it is compulsory for SEAS students studying Japanese.

I have been very pleased with it as a simple to use, portable Kanji dictionary. The only issue that I have is that it uses romanized rather than kana text for the pronounciations.

It does help with comparison of hand written and printed versions of characters as well as correct stroke order.

Definately worth the money for students of Japanese.

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