Kodansha's Communicative English-Japanese Dictionary is the result of almost 15 years of research and development. With over 22,000 entries and 19,000 example sentences and phrases, it is, by far, the most comprehensive and practical dictionary of its kind. Within the pages of this book are all the words needed for daily and even sophisticated conversation. The entry words and their meanings have been carefully selected so that the most useful English words and their Japanese equivalents are right at the user's fingertips when he or she needs them. The dictionary contains not only frequently used words but also a number of technical terms, new words, and vocabulary related to Japanese culture. It also presents a large number of interjections, idioms, and phrasal verbs—the expressions we use every day and which lie at the very heart of the English language. More importantly, though, and what sets this dictionary apart from others, is that it strives to present only natural Japanese equivalents—words that work in day-to-day, real-life conversation. In this way, it is truly communicative. Every one of the equivalents has been rigorously checked and tested by a team of editors, teachers, and translators. Great care has gone into the example sentences, too: their translations reflect the way Japanese is actually spoken—at times colloquial and at times formal; used by both men and women, with some examples overtly masculine and others feminine; and ranging in register from humble to rough-and-tumble and from honorific to casual and even rude. Furthermore, in addition to the standard features of an English-Japanese dictionary, the communicative includes a number of special entries that help learners to express themselves effectively in Japanese and expand their vocabulary. These include columns on usage, lists of related vocabulary, and illustrations of people and things with parts labeled. Finally, an in-depth appendix serves as a mini-grammar of Japanese and provides a framework for understanding the language used throughout the book. Kodansha's Communicative English-Japanese Dictionary is for learners at all levels. Minimally, however, users should be able to read hiragana and katakana—the basic Japanese scripts. No knowledge of kanji is required.

* 22,000 entries and 19,000 example sentences and phrases

* Natural and accurate Japanese translations

* Japanese script throughout, with pronunciation of all kanji shown in hiragana or katakana

* Special columns on usage that teach you how to express yourself in Japanese

* Hundreds of idioms, interjections, and phrasal verbs

* Illustrations of objects, places, and people with parts labeled

* Useful appendixes about the Japanese language