10 Essential German-English Dictionaries for Translators

German-English Dictionaries

All translators need dictionaries to help them translate texts from one language to another, and German-English dictionaries are among the most useful of these tools. In fact, it would be impossible to translate without them! To help you find the best German-English dictionaries, here are 10 essential options that will help you in your daily work as a translator. These dictionaries range from authoritative to small and portable—and everything in between! Let’s take a look at each of these options, as well as some things you should consider when buying your next German-English dictionary!

1) Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology is a dictionary of the etymologies (the origins) of words in the English language. It was published in 2009 by Oxford University Press and edited by Michael Adams, David Crystal, Simon J Greenhill, and John Simpson. This dictionary contains over 200,000 entries covering all aspects of English vocabulary, including roots, prefixes, suffixes, and derivatives. This dictionary also includes information on how words have changed through time. For example, this dictionary can tell you if you want to know why “pestilence” comes from the Latin word pestis. If you’re looking for more specific information about the history of a particular word, this dictionary has what you need.

Since its first publication in 1998, The Oxford Dictionary of English has quickly become established as one of the most authoritative and best-selling dictionaries on both sides of the Atlantic. While aimed primarily at native speakers, it is also a valuable source of reference for translators, with over 100,000 entries covering all common words and phrases.

2) The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

This dictionary is a well-known staple among professional translators and interpreters. It includes translations from German to English in an extremely convenient format. Rather than flip through pages of small print, you can access what you need with a few clicks on your computer’s keyboard. It’s available both online and as a downloadable application. A downside is that it isn’t as thorough as other dictionaries, but it makes up for it by being easier to use and more accessible.

3) The Collins Dictionary

Looking to learn or teach something new? You’ll find Collins Dictionary invaluable if you’re an English teacher, translator, or any other language professional. The dictionary is designed to cater to every level of language learner—from students who are just learning their first words to advanced linguists. At 937 pages (as a paper version), it packs a lot of information and useful features like a verb conjugator, word origins, and sample sentences.

4) The Oxford Medical Dictionary

The Oxford Medical Dictionary is essential for medical translators and interpreters who work with complicated medical terminology. This dictionary includes all of your standard medical and specialized medical terms. While it doesn’t cover languages beyond English, French, and German, you can use it to check your translation into a language you know. It also features many abbreviations commonly used in medical settings.

The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is a comprehensive resource for studying regional dialects in the United States. The DARE contains over 3 million words, including definitions, pronunciations, etymologies, and usage examples. The DARE is divided into four sections: North America, South America, Canada, and the Caribbean. Each section covers different regions within those countries, so you can easily navigate to the area you need.

5) The Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

Translators and interpreters widely use this dictionary, as it contains excellent examples and example sentences that are particularly helpful when translating from English to German. It’s also easy to use: Enter a word into its search engine, then choose German or English as needed. You can also see your full translation in context on a single page, which helps you understand how it’s used in that particular piece of writing.

6) Longman’s Medical Dictionary (Bilingual Edition – English/German Edition)

Longman’s Medical Dictionary is a reference book of approximately 10,000 entries that provides definitions and explanations for words used in medicine. This dictionary contains every term and phrase a medical translator needs to know to translate from English into German or vice versa. It has up-to-date terminology and features new medical terms relevant to modern science and technology.

7) The Routledge dictionary of modern idiomatic expressions

A comprehensive guide to everyday words and phrases. Features idioms in current usage, including colloquialisms that have made their way into standard English. Includes definitions and examples of more than 4,500 idiomatic expressions drawn from a wide range of source material—popular songs, websites, adverts, plays, poems and novels, and literary works by Shakespeare, Austen and Wilde. It comes with a companion website with audio recordings where available.

8) New Oxford American Dictionary (Bilingual edition – English/German Edition)

Anyone serious about learning a new language should get The New Oxford American Dictionary. Whether it’s your native tongue or something else, you need to know it inside and out—and have a good grasp of its quirks, too. The Oxford dictionaries are great because they not only list word meanings in several languages but also offer extensive background information on each definition. These books make excellent resources for anyone who writes in multiple languages or is planning to do so professionally.

9) Webster’s Revised Unabridged

The online version of an 1828 English dictionary, edited by Noah Webster, that claims to offer all words in use in America at that time. It’s a fantastic resource and includes historical notes on each word. Don’t let its age fool you; it’s still an excellent dictionary today. It’s also entirely free!

10) Chambers Dictionary

The Chambers Dictionary is one of few bilingual dictionaries to include pictures, which makes it particularly valuable for beginner translators. It’s also designed specifically with foreign students in mind, so you can expect a lot of translation of specialized terms and usage that you won’t find in other dictionaries.

Ten apps that help you learn German

We use hardly anything more often in everyday life than our smartphones. So if you are learning German with us, you can also use your mobile phone for this. There are many dictionary apps, both paid and free, to help you study. However, it is important to say that an app cannot replace a language course. It can only contribute successfully to practice. In the following, we will introduce you to some of the best apps for learning German; you may already have some on your smartphone. Also, all apps are available for iOS and Android.

1. Duolingo.

Duolingo is one of the most popular online dictionaries and language courses. The idea behind it was to create a program that would make learning languages fun and easy. The problem with Duolingo is that it doesn’t teach you how to speak or write in another language, but rather just gives you words from which you can guess what they mean. This makes it very hard to learn a new language because you’ll only know if you’re guessing right by asking someone who speaks your target language and seeing if they understand you. What makes it stand out is the fact that it’s an app for both machine and human translation.

Duolingo, known for its effective language learning, has evolved into the best German translator app, providing accurate translations through its comprehensive German dictionary and document translator. With features like instant translations and the option for offline translations, Duolingo offers unlimited translations with a balance of technology and the human touch, making it a versatile and reliable language tool.

2. Voice Recorder

This app is usually already installed on every smartphone but is used very rarely. Especially when you are learning German, the dictaphone can be very helpful. The app features offline support, auto suggestions, audio pronunciations, and more. You can even read vocabulary with translation from a book and listen to it later or on the go. Of course, the same goes for grammar topics. You can record yourself explaining the topic. The app provides professionally recorded translation audio along with standard written pronunciation guides.

This way, you learn twice because, on the one hand, you have to explain the topic, which means you have understood it, and on the other hand, you have to memorize possible special cases by listening. You can also record conversations, for example, with your language teacher, of course only if they agree. The voice recorder also provides areas solely for the voice translator and text-to-speech feature.

It is one of the premium versions of free translation and language dictionary apps available, capable of translating text messages and voice-to-voice translations. This feature-rich translator could use an offline mode, though, just like most other major translator apps and also features alternative translations. It is one of the best free translation apps and language dictionary apps to translate text messages, voice-to-voice, and text-to-voice translations.

3. Busuu

Busuu is the best app for beginners because it is easy to use and has great features. Supports 12 different foreign languages, ​​including the German language, Spanish language, Japanese language, French language and others. They help people communicate without a human translator or spend months learning a language.

One unique feature is that you can practice by talking to native speakers in real life. You can translate text, images, and voice with real-time translations. It also has the usual grammar and vocabulary lessons. It offers offline support, quizzes, dialect training, etc.

6. DW Learn German

The DW Learn German app offers various ways to learn German, e.g., B., selecting a video series or interactive exercises. Even as a beginner, learning via the DW app is very easy. If you still don’t understand where to start learning, take a quick and easy placement test and determine which course is right for you. Using this app is completely free. The app’s content is streamed from the internet and doesn’t take up much storage space on your phone. The machine translation feature of this app is referred to as quick translation on iOS or free professional translations on Android.

7. drop: Learn German. speak German

Drop’s language learning app includes specific apps for 28 languages. This app makes language learning a fun way. The best part is that the user only has 5 minutes per day. During this time, you will learn different vocabulary and not focus too much on the grammar. However, the app is not free; there are monthly and yearly subscriptions or a lifetime license.

8. Learn German quickly: German course

This app has helped millions worldwide learn German by spending 10 minutes a day. Learn German is a MosaLingua app highly recommended by the media and many other private blogs. The app mainly focuses on 20% of the language you use the most. First, it teaches you the important things and then after a while the other things. It contains over 3000 flashcards in 14 categories with ten levels, lessons, study aids, a voice recorder and more.

9. Tandem Language Exchange

Tandem is the largest language exchange app with millions of users. The user can collaborate with a native speaker and practice languages. Find your partner and start chatting to speak German.

This app uses a social learning method where you and the other person form a team and teach each other your native language. Besides chatting, you can also make voice calls, video calls, text messages, and picture messages.

10. HalloTalk

It is a global language learning and exchange app that connects you with speakers of other languages, ​​including English, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Turkish and 150+ languages. You and the other person speak the language and vice versa—someone who speaks the language and wants to learn your language. Two people teach each other through voice messages or texts.

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