辞書

§ Understanding 辞書 (jisho)

The Japanese word for dictionary is 辞書 (じしょ - jisho). It's a straightforward noun, and you'll find it incredibly useful as you learn Japanese. Let's look at how to use it in sentences.

§ Basic Sentence Structure with 辞書

You can use 辞書 just like you would use 'dictionary' in English. Here are some common patterns:

Topic Particle は (wa)

To state what something is, use は (wa) followed by です (desu).

Object Particle を (o)

When 辞書 is the direct object of a verb, use the particle を (o).

§ Using 辞書 with other particles

Here are other common particles you'll use with 辞書:

• Possessive Particle の (no)

  To show possession, use の (no).

  これは私の辞書です。
  Kore wa watashi no jisho desu.
  This is my dictionary.

• Directional Particle へ (e) or に (ni)

  To indicate movement towards something, you can use へ (e) or に (ni).

  辞書を棚に戻してください。
  Jisho o tana ni modoshite kudasai.
  Please put the dictionary back on the shelf.

• Instrumental Particle で (de)

  To show that you used the dictionary as a tool, use で (de).

  辞書で単語を調べます。
  Jisho de tango o shirabemasu.
  I look up words with a dictionary.

§ Compound Nouns with 辞書

辞書 can also be combined with other nouns to create compound words, similar to how 'dictionary' is used in English:

• 電子辞書 (denshi jisho)

  Electronic dictionary.

  この電子辞書はとても便利です。
  Kono denshi jisho wa totemo benri desu.
  This electronic dictionary is very convenient.

• 国語辞書 (kokugo jisho)

  Japanese language dictionary (monolingual Japanese dictionary).

  国語辞書で意味を調べました。
  Kokugo jisho de imi o shirabemashita.
  I looked up the meaning in a Japanese dictionary.

Let's talk about the Japanese word for dictionary: 辞書 (jisho). It's a fundamental word you'll use a lot as a language learner. Understanding when and how to use it is pretty straightforward, but knowing a few related terms can make your Japanese even more natural.

§ Basic Meaning of 辞書 (jisho)

Japanese Word

辞書 (jisho)

Part of Speech

Noun

CEFR Level

A2

Definition

dictionary

辞書 (jisho) refers to any kind of dictionary, whether it's a physical book or a digital app. It's a straightforward translation and is used exactly as you'd expect.

§ Examples of 辞書 (jisho) in Use

Do you have a Japanese dictionary?

This word is not in the dictionary.

Let's look it up in the dictionary.

§ Similar Words and When to Use 辞書 vs. Alternatives

While 辞書 (jisho) is the general term for 'dictionary', there are a couple of related words you might encounter. Knowing the nuances will help you sound more natural.

• 漢字辞典 (kanji jiten)

  This specifically refers to a kanji dictionary. If you're looking up kanji readings or stroke order, you might specify 漢字辞典. However, 辞書 is still perfectly understandable.

• 英和辞典 (eiwa jiten)

  An English-Japanese dictionary.

• 和英辞典 (waei jiten)

  A Japanese-English dictionary.

Notice the pattern: for specific types of dictionaries, you often add a descriptor before 辞典 (jiten). The character 典 (ten) also means 'dictionary' or 'code/law', and it's often used in compound words for specialized dictionaries, while 書 (sho) in 辞書 (jisho) means 'book' or 'document'.

So, when should you use 辞書 versus one of these more specific terms?

• Use 辞書 (jisho) as your default. It's the most common and generally understood term for 'dictionary'. If you just say 辞書, people will understand you mean a dictionary for language, unless the context suggests otherwise (like if you're in a highly specialized field talking about technical terms).

• Use 漢字辞典 (kanji jiten) when you want to specifically emphasize that you're looking for or using a dictionary focused on kanji. For example, if you're struggling with a particular kanji and ask a Japanese friend, you might say,「いい漢字辞典を知っていますか？」(Ii kanji jiten o shitteimasu ka? - Do you know a good kanji dictionary?).

• Use 英和辞典 (eiwa jiten) or 和英辞典 (waei jiten) when you need to specify the language pair, especially in a context where multiple languages might be involved, or if you're recommending a specific type of dictionary to another learner. For instance,「これはおすすめの和英辞典です。」(Kore wa osusume no waei jiten desu. - This is a recommended Japanese-English dictionary.)

You might also hear people refer to 'electronic dictionaries' as 電子辞書 (denshi jisho). This is a common term for those handheld devices that were very popular among students for many years. With smartphones, many people now use dictionary apps, which would still generally be referred to as 辞書, or specifically アプリ辞書 (apuri jisho - dictionary app) if you want to be extra clear.

In summary, 辞書 is your go-to word for 'dictionary'. Don't overthink it. The more specific terms are useful, but not essential for basic communication.