English-Russian, Russian-English Dictionary Reviews

• Top-notch AMERICAN ENGLISH / Russian Dictionary!

  
  By A2A3GTGNPCRFFE on 2002-10-20
  One of the residual after-effects of the Cold War is that most Russian/English - English/Russian dictionaries were written using British English. While in many ways I appreciate British English, such dictionaries come up lacking for Russian-speakers that want to learn American English or for American-English-speakers that want to learn Russian. For instance, most Russian-published dictionaries use British English, which can be a trifle annoying for all those Americans who don't know what a pram is!

  Kenneth Katzner's wonderful dictionary was the first (or at least one of the first) dictionaries specifically written using American English. As a former Russian teacher in the United States, I found this book a "God-send" for some of the things that my students in the United States wanted me to teach them. While I'm a fluent Russian speaker, I simply don't use some types of vocabulary anymore since I live in the United States and sometimes I have great difficulty recalling certain sorts of words and acronyms in English let alone Russian. This dictionary was wonderful not only for me as a Russian and English literate teacher, but also for my students who often times couldn't find words exclusive to American English in their dictionaries.

  Some versions of the dictionary have handy grammar and culture references as well (There have been several editions published over the years and Katzner wonderfully updates this book every few years). I say different editions because I have owned several copies of this book over the years (I bought a few and others were publisher's samples) and usually keep just one, giving any extras away to my students (usually as a prize in class). One of my favorite features of one of the editions was a reference glossary with commonly used abbreviations (such as Dr., Str., etc.). Other additions also have Russian/English glossaries of place names (countries, geographical features, states, etc.). Try to buy the most recent edition of this book if possible since it will have the most updates and helpful features.

  I highly recommend this book for either American -English speaker trying to learn Russian or Russian-speakers trying to learn American English. It's the very first dictionary that any American-English-speaker studying Russian should buy.
  
  

• Solid Dictionary

  
  By AHDIG9ZGN904Z on 2002-03-12
  I've read all the reviews here and I will aprroach mine by commenting on some of the negative remarks.
  A few of the negatives were in regard to poor binding of the hardback edition. These are fair remarks, indeed my copy has worn very quickly as well. However, the softcover edition does not have this problem and it is also easier to transport around.
  The other negatives seemed to be by advanced students of the Russian language. I would certainly expect a linguist to have some quibbles and also to have other books they would use and recommend (such as one reviewer's endorsement of the, indeed, outstanding Daum/Schenk Russian verb dictionary). But for most users this book will be outstanding. For American English speakers of Russian I would say it is a must.
  
  

• If you are studying Russian, you need this dictionary

  
  By on 2000-02-04
  The Katzner dictionary is most helpful for students who want to know the difference between different Russian words which correspond to one English word. Associated with each Russian translation is a brief English explanation of the meaning. This helps avoid misusing a word which is a proper translation for one meaning of a word, but not for another. Look at any entry of an English preposition or common verb and there are often ten or more corresponding Russian words whose differences are carefully explained. Many entries in both the Russian-English and English-Russian sections of the dictionary contain Russian phrases or sentences which are fully accented to aid the beginner or intermediate student to learn proper pronunciation. You can learn more about the dictionary at the wordfind site and even see a sample page there. Even if you are not just beginning your study of Russian, you will find this book to be well-organized and carefully constructed to show iregular forms of verbs and nouns. One of the more interesting sections of the dictionary is its Glossary of Proper Nouns which includes the Russian names of countries, U.S. states, Canadian provinces and cities and geographical features of the world as well as a list of famous names.
  
  

• For the price, I expected better

  
  By on 1998-11-11
  For a dictionary priced in the same vicinity as the Oxford Russian-English, Katzner fails to deliver the quality. Grammatical forms are, as a rule, not provided. Idiomatic examples are paltry. Worst of all, Katzner perpetuates some of the mistranslations from the Soviet-era Smirnitsky, from which he evidently copied uncritically. Katzner is adequate for most students, but if you're willing to settle for a dictionary that will often leave you high and dry and at times mislead you entirely, why not choose one of the much cheaper mass-produced titles? Why pay Oxford prices for Berlitz quality?
  
  

• A student of Russian

  
  By on 2003-01-17
  Overall, I found this to be the best Russian-English dictionary that I have used to date. However, I think its worth a note that it does not fare well with regular use. I used mine as a reference for my russian courses for less than one year and the binding split in two. Now all of the pages are falling out, which I find a bit frustrating. In my opinion, reference books should be durable, as they are meant to be used regularly, and this dictionary just didn't hold up. Given the price, I was fairly disappointed with the quality.
  
  
• Great American English, shoddy binding
  By on 2003-02-07
  I have to agree with those who enthuse about this dictionary's idiomatic, American English translations. This is the only dictionary to use for Americans who are dealing with contemporary Russian usage, though it is less useful for those who are dealing with historical or literary translation.

  However, I also share the dismay of the reviewer whose dictionary fell to pieces after a year. Mine has been in this sorry state for years and I've actually lost a few pages of words beginning with "ka"! Kak im ne stydno?? Even a paperback can be sewn into its binding rather than glued.

  Unfortunately, I have no suggestions. I don't recommend Oxford for the type of translation I do but the Katzner hardcover is apparently out of print. Pomogite nam! Give us a new hardcover edition!
  
  

• Issued by the US military...
  By A1OW6R5ATEIS8R on 2004-07-08
  This is the dictionary the US military issued to its Russian language-studying soldiers at DLI in Monterey. It has excellent coverage of most basic and general vocabularies, and goes into depth on many other subjects (including military jargon). It is far easier to use than the Oxford Dictionary, as it lists each verb (glogol) with the prefix and/or suffix as an individual entry. Words are extremely easy to find here--unlike in many dictionaries of this type. Of course, there are some very specific Russian-English dictionaries out there that specialize in specific categories of the language. (Such as dictionaries of slang, or of obscenities) If you're a a generalist OR specialist who doesn't have a copy of this book, it is recommended. My copy is dog-eared and I did have to tape the cover (the paperback), due to frequent use.
  Many of my Russian friends have used it to find the "right" word in English, and it has proven to be an exceptional resource in both directions. A must have for any student of Russian.
  
  
• INDISPENSABLE
  By A84UFSF2SZS2W on 2001-09-08
  An indispensable resource for Russian language learners. Highly useful and detailed grammatical information, extensive vocabulary and accompanying-necessary-information on usage as well as irregularities in form or usage (declensions or conjugations). Having compared many Russian and English dictionaries this is by far the most comprehensive resource you can get in a user-friendly and compact format at a reasonable price. This is one of the best foreign language dictionaries I have used in my extensive foreign language studies. The dictionary is touted as a first of its kind geared to American English rather than British. I don't know how true this is, but as an American, I know it was useful to me either way. This book eased my days as a student considerably... I loved my old one so much I passed it on to a friend and got a new one last time I was in the States.
  
  
• so-so
  By A14P5WMZHBVPFT on 2002-10-08
  This dictionary doesn't have pronunciation transcription, for example in any other dictionaries, if you look word DEBT, you can see the transcription how to pronounce it: [det] . When you know how to pronounce, then you can remember this word (add to your vocabulary).
  Also even though it says that this dictionary based on American English, I looked if I can find some very simple words, and I couldn't find many words. For example look Russian word 'stranniy', you get translation 'strange', 'odd'. But not 'weird', why? Americans are using 'weird' as much as 'strange'.
  
  
• Best R-E/E-R Dictionary in print!
  By A98H45OHGVAOY on 2002-07-10
  As an ESL instructor, I find it important for my students to learn to use a dictionary. I have always recommended the Random House R-E/E-R Dictionary because of its price....it was a good deal. The Katzner dictionary is much better however, and Amazon's price is exceptional. The dictionary has easy to read references starting from either language ... which my Russian speaking students find indispensible. Non-Russian speakers, like myself, can even use the English section to look up Russian words.
  
  
• Disappointed
  By on 2000-06-19
  I am very disappointed that this dictionary does not give the phonetic pronunciation of the Russian words in English.
  
  
• Excellent
  By A2JA7C0WEMB1M7 on 2002-07-15
  This is by far the best Russian dictionary available to American English speakers. In fact it's specifically geared towards American slang, spellings and idioms. Other dictionaries, while good in their own right, don't have these special focus. I brought mine to Russia and used it often.

  Highly recommended.
  
  

• get the oxford dictionary!
  By A1NTVUF7J0AZK1 on 2006-05-22
  I can't really understand the other comments for this book.
  If you watch a Russian movie and try and lookup the words with this book, you will be missing many of them. Ditto for reading.
  
  The oxford dictionary is big and I used to get lazy and it would be in another room when I was watching a RUssian movie and I would try and use this Katzner dictionary and it was useless. I always had to walk into the other room and get the Oxford dictionary. Same for any reading.
  
  The comments about it being "American English" are really ridiculous. First of all the Oxford dictionary usually has both when both exists and on the rare case where there is a problem, you can look up the word in a normal English dictionary. I mean really, are there native USA educated English speakers writing these reviews that are challenged by British English? Are these same people sitting with a dictionary and close captioned turned on while watching British PBS or movies?
  
  This book is maybe slightly better than the concise Oxford Russian dictionary but is not even close to the full Oxford Russian Dictionary. Unless you want to have a collection of dictionaries, pass on this one and get the big Oxford Russian English dictionary. Unless you are picking berries in a field for a living, your time can't be worth the difference in price.
  
  Also, Oxford really thought through the problems of non native Russian speakers and to the extent that they could without making a dictionary 5 times that size, they did a perfect job.
  
  
  
• Content 5, Binding 0
  By A26GJ92ON91IBK on 2001-12-28
  I have no argument with the content of this dictionary; it serves most of my needs. But I like to mark up my books and make notes in the margins; these help me remember things over the years. But after 1 1/2 years of use, this "perfect bound" dictionary is falling apart. It has no signatures, no threaded binding, so the pages that are merely glued in tend to fall out after repeated opening and closing of the book. This type of binding is acceptable on a short cheap paperback novel that you'll read one time, but on a thousand-page dictionary that you want to consult for years?! Language dictionaries are opened and closed thousands of times and must have the best of binding. This has the worst and all my notes are now lost for all practical purposes as I must change to a new intact dictionary. I'm sorry for Katzner, ... Not recommended.
  
  
• Keeping a precious paperback dictionary intact.
  By A4SXURQWRNO8R on 2002-02-01
  Glued bindings are characteristic of most paperbound books nowadays, even outstanding dictionaries. Another reviewer complained about his Katzner dictionary falling apart because it wasn't sewn. I foresaw this possibility and sewed mine before subjecting it to use. You can do it yourself, or ask a tool-savvy friend. Clamp the book between two pieces of wood and drill with 3/32-inch drillbitt in four places, about 1/8th inch from the binding, about one inch from the ends, the two holes about 1/2 inch apart. Thread any heavy thread, waxed shoe-repair twine, or fishline, twice or more through each set of holes and tie securely with a square knot. Now you can open the book without fear of cracking the glued binding.
  
  
• Strong on vocabulary, weak on usage
  By on 1999-10-29
  I found the book very helpful for translating words. However, there's much to be desired with regards to how to use the words. Not enough information on grammar (cases taken, etc.). But very good for basic vocabulary.
  
  
• Russian teacher's review
  By A2JVUPD65KTQYF on 2004-05-26
  This is a marvelous dictionary!!!! I teach Russian to High School graduates and I have investigated many different dictionaries to find the best. Kenneth Katzner's dictionary is head and shoulders above any other dictionary I have seen. The entries are not as vast as, say, the Oxford Russian-English, but it is very user-friendly and the author does a very good job of making exceptions and irregularities very clear. He also makes particular effort to differentiate between homonyms (something that other dictionaries frequently lack). The binding is a little fragile and requires some TLC (especially at first. I recommend storing the dictionary open on a table when not in use to train the binding to stay open. Never push hard to keep it open to the page you need; it can break).

  Another review complains that this dictionary lacks a pronunciation guide. He clearly has not understood that Russian pronunciation is absolutely consistent almost without exception. The alphabet is phonetic and there are no pronunciation dilemmas as in English, e.g. though, through, rough. The student is much better off learning the rules and not relying on any extraneous pronunciation guide.

  This is not a good translator's dictionary because it is incomplete. But for the student, even into the fifth or sixth year, this dictionary is not only a reference, but an outstanding learning tool. I recommend it to any student of Russian. You won't find better!
  
  

• Excellent dictionary
  By A3OFR6XXPMK3OA on 2005-08-09
  I've been using this dictionary for over a year. It has never failed me yet at suggesting a good and precise translation. It has no vulgar words which somehow sneaked into many other dictionaries, such as Oxford. It's easy to use and not bulky at all.
  
  
• Katzner's Dictionary is the best single source of Russian.
  By on 1997-04-14
  Katzner's dictionary is the best single source of Russian language available to American-English speakers. It is better for grammar references than most Russian grammar books. It is an elegant solution to English- and Russian-speakers attempting to make the transition between the languages which has been unavailable until this time. It is, in a word, revolutionary
  
  
• The best Russian - English dictionary
  By A3G4FCLP3XQUE2 on 2000-12-13
  I just recently returned from a two year stay in Russia. Before going to Russia I didn't not know any Russian. I found that this dictionary was more usefull and more complete than any other dictionary I used. It is the only Russian-English dictionary based on American English which helped considerably when I was trying to find more difficult words. I very highly value this book.
  
  
• no pronunciation guide
  By A1YFH5731E07KU on 2004-05-05
  This dictionary is very comprehensive but it has no guide whatsoever to pronunciation. It utilizes the IPA after each English entry without any explanation of the IPA symbols and their sounds. There is nothing at all on the Russian side. This may be a great dictionary for those who already speak Russian but it is unhelpful for those of us just starting out. I was very disappointed with it and am now back to using my Collins Gem Russian dictionary which has little vocab but a pronunciation guide at least.
  
  
• Great all-purpose dictionary
  By A62G4QX6XQVLP on 2004-09-12
  This is the kind of dictionary a serious student of Russian (or any other foreign language) should get. If you're only going to be studying it for a few years or learning the language for a short trip abroad, you're better suited getting one of the smaller dictionaries with less words, not a mammoth volume of over a thousand pages with tens of thousands of words contained within. This dictionary has everything--current and up-to-date terminology, words in all sorts of fields (e.g., engineering, computers, science), obsolete words one might still run across in older books or poems, slang, idioms, words that don't have an equivalent in English (how awesome is it for a language to only need one word to say something like "to drag one's heels in the mud" or "to pinch from time to time"?), even the names of the pre-Revolutionary letters, such as the yat, which was replaced by the letter now representing the ye sound (E in Roman letters). It also has great appendices on the names of different types of geographical areas (cities, islands, continents, historic regions, former Soviet republics, lakes, rivers, parts of cities, etc.) and famous surnames. It also gives a chart of normal declensions in the beginning, plus the normal conjugations of the most common types of verbs. Unlike some other dictionaries, it doesn't do your homework for you by conjugating a huge sample of verbs, both regular and irregular, in every single tense there is, or declining a similarly huge pool of nouns as well. That's for you to learn, not up a dictionary to give you easy and immediately-available answers to. And since this is clearly designed for someone who is serious about learning the Russian language, it also doesn't have a section on the Cryllic alphabet. It's assumed that you already know it quite well if you're purchasing this dictionary in lieu of something designed for a more casual student.
  
  
• An expensive disappointment
  By on 1999-08-02
  Lack of grammar forms, laconic definitions, and flat-out errors mar this much-touted "first Russian dictionary for Americans." The Defense Language Institute does a disservice in handing this out to military linguists... and leaving their supervisors and senior linguists to pick up the pieces down the line. Don't waste your money - hie thee to an Oxford!
  
  
• Excellent!!!
  By A3VCJGUA510L4M on 2004-09-12
  This is a very good product. Before ordering it I had several doubts - but they all vanished once I laid my hands on this must-have Russian Language resource.
  
  The writing is clear, the translation is as specific as it gets. Irregular declensions and conjugations are given as well. What a product!
  
  BTW - don't think that this is a pocket dictionary - it is rather large and would function better on the shelf.
  
  I recommend this book without hesitation.
  
  
• A real disappointment
  By A6TIJM4HZXRMA on 2006-10-07
  When I saw that this dictionary was based on "American English", I was excited to get it. But save your money, or, better yet, use it to buy the Oxford Russian Dictionary. You can easily cope with British spelling (e.g. centre) and you'll find a much more useful dictionary. I find it remarkable that a modern (1994) dictionary purporting to be based on American English completely omits words such as "Internet", "download", "e-mail", to say nothing of all the acronyms associated with computers. Incidentally, you can find them all in the Oxford!
  
  
• Best available for American English speakers
  By on 1999-08-10
  I have used Katzner's dictionaries since 1988 and have never encountered any problems. Before that, for the first three years, I used a variety of British variant dictionaries and encountered frequent problems. Nothing is more frustrating to me than translating a Russian word/idiom I don't know into an ENGLISH word I don't know or at least, don't fully understand. My fellow American students along the way all felt the same: Katzner was a God-send. My only critique of the Katzner dictionaries is that I wish they provided more assistance with the participial forms created from the verbs.
  
  
• Excellent resource
  By AL3R8LFW9Z4ML on 2001-11-14
  I have worn out three of these dictionaries. They are very useful in day-to-day conversations with Russians. If you want a dictionary that will truly help you to communicate quickly, this is an excellent choice. Smaller books do not give the breadth of vocabulary. The Oxford is similar but costs more and the larger size is cumbersome to carry. I have both and have turned exclusively to the Katzner for most work. It is clear that the book is designed to allow people of different cultures communicate quickly and accurately with each other. The only negative is the paper binding. The back breaks quickly and the pages come unglued. If this dictionary is ever produced with a good quality hardback binding it would be almost perfect.
  
  
• For Americans, Katzner is simply the best.
  By A13E19U2RWATL3 on 2004-11-17
  This was my first dictionary, in 1987--and remains my favorite dictionary today. I have literally loved two copies of this dictionary to pieces. My current copy is the first dictionary I reach for if I need a quick translation. This was the dictionary that was always at my side when I worked as an interpreter in Moscow. Of course, it is not meant for every purpose, but I have seen nothing as good as this dictionary for its size. There is also a great quick-reference declension guide inside.
  
  
• Extraordinary lexicon
  By A1YZBPY86JEK8V on 2005-08-11
  Of all the Russian translation resources I have used, in studies, translation work, and working as an interpreter for Russian friends in the States, this is by far the one that I refer to first and most, seconded only by 501 Russian Verbs. It was also one of the book I took with me on a visit to Moscow.
  
  When trying to explain to Russian friends American English rather than British English, I have not found a book to equal this one.
  
  And if you truly are looking for the translations of the genital organs, get a used copy of 1984 edition. (That's the one I am still using, paperback, and it has held up well.) Those words were all in here, but I have painstakingly blacked them out, because I didn't want to get them stuck in my head.
  
  
• Great Reference/Resource!!!
  By A3AOKQCH0YBZDS on 2006-12-05
  I majored in Russian in college and I used this exact English-Russian, Russian English Dictionary while I was in college. It is extremely invaluable and found it to be more useful than other dictionaries I had seen on the market at the time!!
  
  It is worth every penny and a must have reference book for anyone studying Russian!
  
  

• The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners (Penguin Handbooks)
• Schaum's Outline of Russian Grammar
• 501 Russian Verbs (Barron's Foreign Language Guides)
• Russian Stories: A Dual-Language Book
• Teach Yourself Russian Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (TY: Complete Courses)