Collins Spanish Dictionary (Collins Language)

The dictionary is super. It is well laid out, using blue colours effectively for easy search. The examples in each entry give you a good sense of what word you are looking for. I appreciate the asterisks are good for identifying words which can be offensive. The electronic dictionary that you can download into your computer with the password they provide is very convenient.

My Master's thesis was a review and rating of Spanish-English dictionaries. I find this dictionary, like all the other Collins dictionaries, to be a good choice.Here are a few of the factors which distinguish a good bilingual dictionary from a bad one.To begin with, ignore certain publishers' marketing ploys such as entry and translation counts. They say nothing about the value of the words chosen.The first valid factor to consider is lexicographic technique. A bad dictionary simply lists translations. Take, for example, the entry in the Cassell's Spanish Dictionary under the English headword loop: "lazo, gaza, nudo; ojal, presilla, alamar; anillo; recodo, comba, curva, vuelta," etc. For the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary provides no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.Compare the treatment of the same word in the far superior American Heritage Spanish Dictionary. "(length of line) lazo; (coil) vuelta; (bend) curva; (circular path) vuelta, circuito; (fastener) presilla" etc. Here, the user is given glosses in the native language to assist in identifying the right word for the context. Example sentences are also a tremendous help. Collins is excellent in this respect, presenting good information to guide users through the semantic and syntactic complexities.Second, a good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "hostile takeover," "software," "flash drive." Collins is a leader in this respect; its frequent revisions are more than mere window dressing and do a creditable job of covering the most recent additions to the language.Third, idioms, slang, and cusswords can present real problems to the language learner, and a dictionary needs to handle them in a clear and frank fashion. This dictionary gets it right, giving stylistic equivalents for translations as well as clear advice to the user.One complaint about Collins dictionaries is that they often presents Britishisms without labeling them as such. Revisions have only partially corrected the problem. For this reason, I would not recommend this dictionary to native Spanish speakers in the US.Be careful when you choose a bilingual dictionary, as some of the choices--Cassell's and Vox, for example--are downright terrible. The field of large dictionaries stays relatively static over time, and the best choices in it by far are Oxford, Collins, and Larousse. The field of small dictionaries, on the other hand, has many more players. While not the only good choice, Collins is a dictionary most users would be pleased with.

It was cheap but I am an advanced learner and many of the words I tried to look up weren't there. Also, the printing is a little on the blurry side. I got the app for I-Pad, also Collins, and it was much better, and of course very convenient--I'd rate the app 4 or 4-1/2.

If you are looking for a well presented and comprehensive Spanish dictionary then look no further. This is a weighty tome and one most definitely for home study due to it's size, but for an in-depth dictionary you can do no better than this. This is well laid out and easy to read and each entry has the word in blue and then the translation in black and white. I deliberately tried to find some obscure words in this dictionary to `test' it out and it has yet to fail me. It even has plenty of curse words, which should delight the school kid inside us all! This has plenty of information on grammar, as well as sections on time and weights/measurements etc at the back. A bonus of this dictionary is the enclosed code that allows you to access a website with audio pronunciation, as well as additional online features to assist you with your studies. If you are looking for a portable dictionary to take to class with you then consider one of the more concise editions of this dictionary (also from Collins), but if you are looking for an exceptional and thorough Spanish dictionary for use at home or the office, then you can't go far wrong with this.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

Absolutely marvelous dictionary, but totally useless to me. It has so many words and definitions, a beginner can't sort out what he/she should know and what is special use information. I would not recommend to any "student," only advanced users.

As a student of Spanish, I like to read novels written in Spanish. Generally I choose books written for young adults so the vocabulary will be easier. I highly recommend the Harry Potter series by the way.Even with the simpler vocabulary I find myself having to look up certain words. Unfortunately many times the Collins Dictionary didn't contain the word I was searching for but I could find it in my other dictionary, the Langenscheidt's Pocket dictionary. It is smaller (but thicker) than the Collins which is more of a standard paperback book size.I bought the Collins based upon reviews I read on Amazon, but definitely feel the Langenscheidt's is superior.

The media could not be loaded.  Useful and handy

great dictionary, has both English & Spanish, it has become very useful to me, arrived on time

thanks, just as described

Deploying 201 abbreviations (listed inside both boards) this 2009, 40th anniversary edition of the Collins Spanish Dictionary packs an impressive variety of information into its individual entries. For 2 examples of its detail: in the 1101-page English-Spanish dictionary section, every English headword adjective listed has its comparative and superlative shown alongside it; and every Spanish headword verb in the 949-page Sp-Eng section has a reference to the relevant conjugation-variant among 62 verb tables listed in a later section.Apart from the usual sections explaining how to use the dictionary, pronunciation, word formation, numerals, weights and measures, time and dates, there are two noteworthy sections. One is a set of lists referring to blue-background 'boxes' in both the Sp-Eng and Eng-Sp sections of the dictionary proper under the headings of 'complex entries', 'language notes' and 'cultural notes' - succinctly elucidating semantic difficulties withsome 191 lexical items. The other, an even more useful study- and translation-aid, is a superb 60-page bi-lingual 'Language in Use' section containing from about 5 to 20 examples of each of 58 different language-use subject areas, such as for expressing apologies, opinions, agreements, speaking on the phone, invitations, etc., using formulaic or set phrases or specialist vocabulary and syntax. This section even has a 6-page entry on essay writing.On the manageability of the book: at about 2.3 kilos it's obviously more for the desk than the shoulder bag. Its pages are not as thin as those of a compact bible and not quite as thick as my old 1994 Oxford Spanish dictionary which had 200 pages less but occupied a bit more shelf-space. I wish, though, that Collins produced a 2-volume version with the introductory sections, the Sp-Eng dictionary and the excellent 'Language in Use' section in volume one, and the rest in volume 2. This would make handling a lot lighter and deserve much user gratitude and possibly increase sales due to Collins getting one up on Oxford.All in all - make no mistake - this is the best, single volume Spanish-English, English-Spanish dictionary out there. Be advised, though, that it can't possibly solve all the learners' problems. However, combined with the latest edition of Butt & Benjamin's 'Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish' it offers a powerful resource. For more help with Spanish usage there are always the latest editions of, notably, Seco's 'Diccionario de dudas y dificultades' or 'Moliner's 'Diccionario de uso del español' or 'El País, Libro de estilo'.

If you are looking for a well presented and comprehensive Spanish dictionary then look no further. This is a weighty tome and one most definitely for home study due to it's size, but for an in-depth dictionary you can do no better than this. This is well laid out and easy to read and each entry has the word in blue and then the translation in black and white. I deliberately tried to find some obscure words in this dictionary to `test' it out and it has yet to fail me. It even has plenty of curse words, which should delight the school kid inside us all! This has plenty of information on grammar, as well as sections on time and weights/measurements etc at the back. A bonus of this dictionary is the enclosed code that allows you to access a website with audio pronunciation, as well as additional online features to assist you with your studies. If you are looking for a portable dictionary to take to class with you then consider one of the more concise editions of this dictionary (also from Collins), but if you are looking for an exceptional and thorough Spanish dictionary for use at home or the office, then you can't go far wrong with this.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.