HarperCollins Portuguese Dictionary: Portuguese-English/English-Portuguese

This book is okay, but not much different than a lot of condensed dictionaries. I bought this hoping that it contained the actual phonetic spellings for the Portuguese words but instead it uses the phonetic symbols. This isn't much help unless you know all the meanings of the phonetic symbols which is like learning a new alphabet.

My family and I recently moved to Brazil, after receiving more than 8 months of intensive, full-time language training in the U.S. I ordered several different different dictionaries, and during our training (having to translate in both "directions"), and while living here in Brazil now, we found this dictionary to be the absolute best. Sure, it might not be a good source for slang, but I haven't been in a situation where I needed to use or look up slang words yet. In our day-to-day lives here in Brazil, with three children, and an extremely heavy business/entertainment agenda (where my husband and I can only communicate in Portuguese), this book has provided us with words we need that the others have not. The only negative thing I can say (sure, it could have every Portuguese word, but then I wouldn't be able to carry it around!!), is that the binding could be stronger (hence only 4 stars instead of 5). Both of our dictionaries, after a year and a half of heavy use, eventually ended up in halves. So, manufacturing this book so that it holds up to the constant usage would be my strongest recommendation to the publisher [while we haven't used the other dictionaries nearly as much, they too, have lost some pages, so it's not a problem with just this publisher]. Right now, I'm buying a couple more--I really do feel they're worth it.

I have to agree with Luis Hernández on the quality of this dictionary. This is the one I use at home! At work I use Random House Webster's pocket Portuguese dictionary (0-679-40060-5) as well as Collins Gem Portuguese dictionary (0-00-472409-7), both of which are fine dicionários-mirins in their own right!

Simply the best Portuguese-English dictionary on the market, Harper-Collins' Portuguese-English dictionary is simply the best one out on the market. Although it is no longer published, the dictionary offers the best coverage on Portuguese vocabulary, grammar, and structure that other famous foreign-language dictionaries such as Lagenscheidt and Oxford have never been able to grasp. The book, which is in a condensed collegiate edition, is great in its' classification of use (e.g. it distinguishes words used in Brazil vs. those used in Portugal), and the book's overall design is excellent. If you need the best Portuguese-English dictionary on the market, my two suggestions is to (1) write to Harper-Collins and request them to release a new edition, or (2) go through an out-of-print book service that might be able to locate a copy for you. I guarantee that you'll love this dictionary when compared with all the rest on the market.