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Best French English dictionary?
Thread poster: MK2010
MK2010
MK2010  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:59
French to English
+ ...
Jul 28, 2015

I will be taking a four-hour language test in the next few weeks that requires doing it old school...no access to the Internet. So I'm taking a poll here to ask which of the following dictionaries ProZ linguists working in the above language pair feel is the absolute best:

-Collins Robert
-Oxford Hachette
-Larousse
-Harrap's

Collins Robert seems to have the most entries (820,000) so I'm leaning towards that choice, but I'm interested in knowing what ot... See more
I will be taking a four-hour language test in the next few weeks that requires doing it old school...no access to the Internet. So I'm taking a poll here to ask which of the following dictionaries ProZ linguists working in the above language pair feel is the absolute best:

-Collins Robert
-Oxford Hachette
-Larousse
-Harrap's

Collins Robert seems to have the most entries (820,000) so I'm leaning towards that choice, but I'm interested in knowing what others think.

Thanks! ▲ Collapse
 
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
All/any of those you've listed Jul 28, 2015

There is no absolute best imo. Any dico is good if it ends up helping you work out the correct translation.
 
Karen Stokes
Karen Stokes  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:59
Member (2003)
French to English
Collins Robert Jul 28, 2015

Over the years I've had various versions of Collins Robert, Harraps and Oxford Hachette – as it happens I've always liked Collins Robert but I think it comes down to personal preference. The main thing is that you're comfortable with it and can find what you want quickly and easily, particularly if you're under time pressure.
 
Elizabeth Tamblin
Elizabeth Tamblin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:59
French to English
Another vote for Collins Robert Jul 28, 2015

It's the one I've always liked best. If you can't decide, perhaps go for the one that has published a new edition most recently.
 
Tony M
Tony M
France
Local time: 14:59
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Robert + Collins Jul 28, 2015

My favourite too!

I started out using the 2-volume 'Super Senior', thinking it would be more manageable; though in the end, I found I was using both volumes about equally anyway! But for what it contains, each volume was slightly lighter than the equivalent combined one would have been. I now use it on the CD-ROM version, though I still prefer the ergonomics of a paper dictionary!

I originally chose it over the Harrap's because I preferred the typography / presentation;... See more
My favourite too!

I started out using the 2-volume 'Super Senior', thinking it would be more manageable; though in the end, I found I was using both volumes about equally anyway! But for what it contains, each volume was slightly lighter than the equivalent combined one would have been. I now use it on the CD-ROM version, though I still prefer the ergonomics of a paper dictionary!

I originally chose it over the Harrap's because I preferred the typography / presentation; subsequently, referring at random to other people's Harrap's, I was horrified to spot a number of mistakes, even on purely random browsing. In 20 years of using R+C intensively, I have only ever spotted 2 actual errors (obvious enough for me to be sure about them).

I am not terribly familiar with the Larousse bilingual dictionary, though of course I do swear by the various Larousse monolingual French reference works. ▲ Collapse
 
MK2010
MK2010  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:59
French to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks everybody Jul 28, 2015

I'm going to go with the Robert Collins.

Cheers!
 


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