Webster's New World German Dictionary: German/English English/German

As with any book by Webster, this is an excellent acquisition for any student of the German language. Any person that is is involved in the proccess of attempting to master another language knows that, in order to achieve such a goal, having a good dictionary is primordial. Look no further, kameraden! I guarantee you this is the one.

I'm a native German speaker and have used this dictionary extensively for both English-German and German-English. I have tried countless others, but this is the best in terms of giving you an actual context in which to use the words correctly, so chances of producing sentences with random and totally inappropriate words in it are pretty slim. Very user friendly and pretty much every word you're looking for is in there. Highly recommend this!!

I have to agree with most of the other reviewers: 1. I own three different German-English dictionaries. This is the best one for carrying around and daily use. 2. It has great pronunciation guides and overall discussion at the beginning of the book. Also, the various definitions are extensive. 3. It was published in 1987, so it could use a bit of updating including the new rules for using ess-tset. 4. The big Oxford Duden is better for in-depth technical or literary use. I am a language student learning German professionally for 20 hours/week. I first bought the Cassell's due to the recommendation of my teacher and the reviews online. However, while it is a newer publication, I find the Webster's New World MUCH more thorough and pleasant to use. It has over 100,000 words and is printed with crisp black type on bright white paper - easy on the eyes. Cassell's has fewer words and is printed with smudged newstype on low quality newsprint paper; I found it frustrating to physically read and use. I use my German-English dictionary multiple times every day, so usability is a key factor for me. But I also like the detailed way the Webster's is organized and presented. Sure, I have the huge hardcover Oxford Duden for those really complicated cases, but it sits at home for occasional reference. Overall this is just the most pleasant, useful book for daily use. Buy the Webster's: you'll be immediately attracted to it. You'll USE it and learn, which is the most important reason to buy it, right?

I have used this dictionary though four years of German study and it has taken me from near-beginner status to near-fluency. It provides nearly every possible meaning for a word and all the associated expressions in which it might appear. It has tables of irregular verbs in the back and notes on the formation of plurals in the front, and all irregularly pronounced German words are given pronunciation keys. It is not a dictionary for very advanced or specialized translators, nor is it for absolute beginners who have no grasp of the basics of German pronunciation or the ideas of declination and conjugation. Otherwise, it is a great and immensely useful general dictionary which I highly recommend.

This dictionary is perfect for those who are just beginning to learn German, and those who are more advanced. Almost any word you can think of, from standard vocabulary to slang and everything in between is in there. A great buy!