Download the universal dictionary for Android. Offline explanatory dictionary
This guide will cover dictionaries and translators for Android. By the way, this topic was touched upon in. Aspects of the review are:
- Language support. It is important that at least two languages are supported: Russian and English - initially or by adding dictionaries.
- Offline and online functions. First of all, it is offline opportunities that are of interest, although online ones may also be present, which will be mentioned.
- Working with a dictionary: connection, speech synthesis or support for audio recordings, transcription.
- Search: taking into account morphology, inaccurate search, search speed.
- Additional features: phrasebook, contextual translation, integration with other applications.
Review participants:
- Google Translate
- GoldenDict
- Fora Dictionary
- ColorDict
- "Offline dictionaries"
Google Translate
In the latest versions of the official Google Translate client, the greatest attention is paid to offline translation. Therefore, now the application can be compared with other offline dictionaries using the same criteria.
First, let’s talk about offline features. Google Translate offers a choice of 80 languages that can be connected through the settings: just select the desired dictionary from the list.
Google Translate is the least “academic”; it differs from the traditional Android dictionary both in its interface and in the form of results. When translating a term, the transcription is not displayed, the form is not indicated for irregular verbs, and other background information is also missing. Division into parts of speech is carried out, but not always (the principle of dictionary output remains unclear).
Google Translate is not least a user-friendly interface. It looks optimal in mobile version, less advantageous in . Easy navigation, nice animation. However, there is one flaw: when switching from portrait to landscape mode, only the translation is displayed, which, in fact, is a useless distribution of space.
Additional conveniences are noted when working with dictionaries. During translation, voice-over is available (online function). You can translate entire combinations, but due to the limited vocabulary, the implementation of this function is significantly inferior to the online version.
A number of functions are activated when connected to the Internet: text recognition, audio recognition, handwriting input. These features are experimental and under development - although, in fact, they are well implemented. On the one hand, in “field conditions” recognition is far from ideal. On the other hand, Google Translate is capable of translating simple and clear phrases. As a result, if the text or sound is not noisy, decoding is fully justified.
Probably, the speech recognition function can be considered as a good tool for practicing pronunciation. It’s still too early to count on Google Translate as an assistant when having a “live” conversation with a foreigner. The role of translation, in the case of the functions described above, may fade into the background, but recognition results cannot be saved: export to Google Translate is not provided.
The phrase book is another tool that deserves mention. It syncs with online devices linked to your Google account, allowing you to keep frequently used words with translations at your fingertips.
Summary. Google Translate would be correctly called a translator with dictionary functions available offline. Convenient and fast interface, wide selection of language components, easy handling of dictionaries. The online recognition functions are also notable.
[+] Unique features
[+] Convenient and responsive interface
[+] Supports 80 languages
GoldenDict
Some dictionaries for Android provide only a shell, and in this case the actual dictionaries must be added independently. GoldenDict is just such a solution. On the one hand, it is inconvenient that you need to perform additional actions and waste time searching for dictionaries. The positive thing is that you can add only the specialized dictionaries you need. The shell is not only extremely easy to configure, but also versatile. The following types of dictionaries are supported: Lingvo, Babylon, MultiTran, StarDict, Lingoes and Dictd.
After being added to the file system, dictionaries need to be indexed in order to include them in the search. Dictionaries of other installed programs can be added; Typically, GoldenDict detects them and indexes them automatically. There can be an unlimited number of dictionaries, but the free version has a limit (5).
The search returns results fairly quickly and is case and punctuation insensitive. Separately, you can install morpheme dictionaries, then GoldenDict will take into account word forms.
If there are several dictionaries, the results are displayed in a list. There is a search by dictionary entry. Formatting allows you to highlight descriptions, terms, accented letters and, in general, make it easier to read. Voice acting is only available if the corresponding database is added (for example, from Lingvo). In the settings you can configure the output in detail and switch to night display mode.
What’s also useful is that GoldenDict can be integrated into reading programs, displaying the translation in a pop-up window, that is, acting as a contextual translator.
Summary. GoldenDict is an easy to configure and universal shell. It will be useful if detail (transcription, word forms, voice acting) and specialization in certain dictionaries are important. Or, say, in a situation where desktop dictionaries are used and you need to transfer them to mobile devices to access them offline.
[+] Translation details
[+] Taking into account morphology when searching
Fora Dictionary
Fora Dictionary is a cross-platform application available for both mobile (Android/iOS) and desktop (Windows/Mac/Linux) platforms. The desktop version is free, mobile versions contain advertising, which is disabled when purchasing a license.
The main thing to note is the universal application of this shell. Similar to GoldenDict, there are no dictionaries by default. There are five ways to add dictionaries: packages, downloads, offline dictionaries on an SD card, online and Wikipedia. Not all methods are applicable to English-Russian translation, so copying local dictionaries and then specifying them to the program will be useful.
The following types of local dictionaries are supported: StarDict, XDXF, DSL, DICTD databases and simple dictionaries (TSV). Installation packages are installed from resources such as WordNet, FOLDOC, Factbook, Moby. Dictionary management has been implemented: they can not only be added from various sources, but also profiles can be created and grouped.
At the same time, the process of installing a Russian-language dictionary is not as simple as expected. Finding a free dictionary is not difficult, but its further connection is difficult due to the inconvenient interface, and indexing takes a long time.
Although it cannot be said that Fora Dictionary pleases with its modern design, the interface is flexible: article design, menu layout, panels and buttons. Navigation is also well thought out: hotkeys, abbreviations, sidebar, search and navigation history can be used.
The search supports fuzzy input, and hints are available as you type. The output can be formatted according to the Fora Dictionary settings, although it largely depends on the original layout of the dictionary.
For dubbing, speech synthesis (TTS, or Text-to-Speech) is used, available for English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. As an option, it is suggested to download a high quality audio file. In addition, voice input can be used when searching.
Summary. Fora Dictonary has common features with GoldenDict: on the principle of adding dictionaries. True, in terms of the number of sources, none of these solutions can compare with this application. Given Fora's cross-platform nature, the same databases can be used on mobile and desktop platforms.
[+] Support for many dictionary formats
[+] Convenient navigation and customizable interface
[−] Inconvenient adding of custom dictionaries
Bigg
Bigg - English-Russian dictionary and phrasebook. The application is convenient because the dictionaries are available offline without any preliminary configuration, the need to download databases and other actions. All components occupy 50 MB and are copied to the SD card during installation. At this time, Bigg does not support external dictionaries or other translation directions. This is perhaps the only significant drawback when compared with competing solutions.
The dictionary includes Russian and English terms, in total more than 3 million dictionary entries and about 2 thousand phrases in the phrasebook. On the one hand, this is relatively small, but there are also advantages: quick start of the application and instant search in the database. There is no need to switch the translation direction - the program does this automatically. The search is carried out taking into account morphology.
When translating, it is not necessary to open a dictionary entry: the search results already provide options. If multiple words are entered, the translation for each of them will be displayed. The article displays translation options grouped by parts of speech, and transcription is available. Through a separate section of the application you can familiarize yourself with irregular verbs.
The Bigg Phrasebook contains expressions on popular topics, common phrases - all of them are carefully structured. Words and expressions from the phrasebook and dictionary can be added to favorites for quick access to them.
Summary. Bigg is one of the best English-Russian dictionaries. It will be useful to users learning the language. It is very easy to use and contains only the necessary functions, without requiring preliminary configuration. The only thing missing is the ability to add your own dictionaries and support for languages other than English.
[+] Speed and ease of use
[+] Translation is available immediately after installation
[−] Inability to connect custom dictionaries
ColorDict
ColorDict provides for connecting dictionaries from Google Play and other online sources. They can be used offline in the future. Some network functions are used, for example, when searching for a word on Wikipedia.
As for offline dictionaries, there is support for the relatively popular StarDict format. You can copy the required set to the dictdata folder. Dictionaries are indexed automatically and are subsequently available for use. In the corresponding section of the application, you can sort dictionaries and assign color labels to them - convenient, say, for grouping.
Search works well when working with many dictionaries: options are displayed, you can view previously entered terms in the history, add items to your favorites, and set their sorting order. The result from any field is copied to the clipboard. As a wish, it would be nice to implement adding results to favorites and then exporting them.
When displaying terms, blocks of different colors are used; reading is quite comfortable. There are three display options to choose from: WebView, TextView and TextView Space. Unfortunately, some dictionaries do not provide even minimal formatting, making the text difficult to read.
Language learners will find the TTS voiceover option useful, with American and British versions. Transcription is not available everywhere; this option depends on the original content of the dictionary.
Among the additional features, ColorDict integrates with reading programs, namely FBReader, Moon+ Reader, Cool Reader and ezPDF Reader. Thus, he can act as a context translator.
Summary. ColorDict works with local dictionaries and supports Wikipedia search. Another plus is integration with reading programs, which allows you to use ColorDict as a contextual translator (along with GoldenDict).
[+] Connecting StarDict dictionaries
[+] Integration with reading programs
[+] Color labels for blocks and dictionaries
"Offline dictionaries"
“Offline dictionaries,” as the name suggests, offer access to dictionaries without an Internet connection. However, to add them you still need to download the necessary databases. About 50 multilingual dictionaries of various directions are offered: English, Russian, French, German, Chinese, Hebrew, etc. For Russian, at the time of review, 12 directions and dictionaries are available, for English - 32. Adding local dictionaries is not provided.
The program is not very user friendly. Even if we assume that advertising - as a distracting factor - can be turned off when purchasing a license, the translation adds confusion: “option, preferences” and other inscriptions distract from the essence.
Now about the search. Filters allow you to set search criteria. Theoretically, this could be useful for clarifying spelling (although in this case a fuzzy search would be more convenient). Filters are ideal for solving crossword puzzles, although this task cannot be called specialized for translation.
You can display the result either on a separate dictionary page or in a list. Another inconvenience is that “Offline dictionaries” do not use a single database, which significantly slows down the search, taking up time when switching between dictionaries. The same GoldenDict dictionary offers a convenient option - displaying all results in a single list.
The actual display of articles in the “Dictionaries” is well detailed, there is a grouping by parts of speech. Highlighting is not available and transcription is not provided. TTS synthesis is available (including British and American pronunciation, plus 6 additional languages), but it is also not very convenient, since it synthesizes the entire article, and not the search word in the search bar (see Fora Dictionary).
Summary. We can assume that the application copes with its main responsibilities, allowing you to quickly install the necessary dictionaries and get a comprehensive translation of a word. The negative factor is that insufficient attention has been paid to the ergonomics of the application. This is especially noticeable when actively accessing dictionaries and searching for words.
Pivot table
Application | Google Translate | GoldenDict | Fora Dictionary | Bigg | ColorDict | Offline dictionaries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer | Google Inc. | GoldenDict | NG-Computing | Alexey Ilyin | Notes | NGHS.fr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full version price | for free | $4,99 | for free | $2,99 | for free | $2,05 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Android version | depends on device | depends on device | 1.0+ | depends on device | depends on device | depends on device | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Supported languages | 80 | not limited | not limited | Russian English | not limited | not limited | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adding online dictionaries | + | − | + | − | + | + | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adding local dictionaries | − | Lingvo, Babylon, MultiTran, StarDict, Lingoes, Dictd | StarDict, XDXF, DSL, DICTD, TSV | − | StarDict | − | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
voice acting | + | + | + | − | + | + | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contextual translation (integration with reading programs) | − | + | − | − | FBReader, Moon+ Reader, Cool Reader, ezPDF Reader | − | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other options | Phrasebook; recognition of audio, photos, manuscripts; translation of phrases, SMS | − | Search on Wikipedia | Phrasebook |
Application Name | Working without the Internet (offline mode) | Voice translation | Photo translation | Voiceover of texts | Online website translation | Dictionary |
+ | + | + | + | - | - | |
+ | + | + | + | + | + | |
+ | + | + | + | + | + | |
partially | - | - | - | - | + | |
+ | + | - | + | - | + | |
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+ | - | - | + | - | + |
All of the above presented dictionaries and translators for smartphones on Android have advantages and disadvantages and are suitable for different cases. Having a constant connection to the Internet and requiring a large package of languages from the program (especially if we are talking not only about the Russian-English direction), you will most likely decide in favor of Google translators or iTranslate. In addition, Google Translate will be convenient to use as a web page translator.
If you want to work closely with a small list of the most popular foreign languages, you should pay attention to the Android translator Translate ru or the Yandex translator.
If Internet access is limited, download “Offline Dictionaries” and you will be able to translate foreign words in any convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The best dictionary of all presented.
Introduction:
Finding an explanatory dictionary for your Android is very simple, but finding a dictionary that would be completely independent of the Internet is a completely different problem, which turned out to be completely solvable. Application " Russian explanatory dictionary” will be able to please you not only with a very modest weight, but with an impressive database of words, which has more than 150,000 meanings. Surprisingly, all this fits into 40 megabytes of weight and does not require constant connection to the Internet.
Functional:
Another plus is the interface in Material Design. For some this may not matter, but for fans of this concept it will be a very pleasant surprise. The entire interface consists of tabs, between which you can very conveniently move with familiar gestures. The first tab contains an alphabetical index, as well as a search bar, which will instantly allow you to find any word, if, of course, it is in the dictionary. Search “live”, i.e. as soon as you start typing something, the result immediately appears on the screen. There are also two search masks, one of which checks the first letters of each word, and the second - the last. Opposite each word there are two special buttons that allow you to add the word to your favorites or bookmarks. There is a difference between these sections, because in bookmarks you can create something like categories. The next tabs correspond to favorite words and bookmarks, and the last one is the history of viewed words. A word is considered viewed only if you have opened its card.
Results:
There were quite a lot of settings, but due to the fact that the entire application is completely in Russian, there will be no problems with customizing the application for yourself. To summarize: this is the application “ Russian explanatory dictionary“It’s definitely not a shame to keep it on your phone, especially since you can access it at any time, regardless of the Internet. Enjoy!
29.12.2017 18:40:00
In one of the articles we looked at the most popular dating apps.
You no longer need to carry heavy paper dictionaries with you - now they fit comfortably on the screen of your mobile device. In this review you will find decent options for explanatory and specialized dictionaries for Android devices, as well as popular translator dictionaries.
Dictionaries-translators
One of the best dictionaries for Android, Google Translate supports 90 languages. The application shows several translation options and reads them. Completed translations can be saved and synchronized with other devices. For Android devices, the application is distributed free of charge, and the latest versions of the dictionary also work offline.
The Yandex dictionary is, if not the best for Android, then certainly easy to use. Translates individual words, phrases, sentences and texts in online and offline modes. 6 languages are available offline (including Russian), and with a connection – more than 40. The application is free.
ABBYY Lingvo dictionaries
Among paid applications for Android, ABBYY Lingvo can be considered the best dictionary - in addition to the offline mode, its advantages include the ability to create your own active dictionary with frequently used words. For translation, the method of manual text entry, translation from photographs and screenshots is used. The cost of this dictionary is from 59 rubles.
Lingvo Live Dictionary for Android provides online access to more than 130 dictionaries in 14 languages. Users of the application can leave their own translation options, comments and ratings, on the basis of which a “folk” dictionary is formed. The application is distributed free of charge.
This dictionary for Android is designed to translate words and phrases from Russian to English and from English to Russian. Works great offline, but when connected to the Internet you can listen to the pronunciation of words. Users of this English-Russian Android dictionary have several settings available.
Dictionaries
Wikipedia Mobile
The official application of Wikipedia, the famous encyclopedia that contains tens of millions of articles in various languages. Using the application, you can view and edit articles, save pages that interest you, and share them on social networks. The application is free.
Dahl's Dictionary
This Russian explanatory dictionary is considered the largest among applications for Android and includes more than 200,000 words, as well as 30,000 sayings, proverbs and riddles as supporting material to explain the meaning of a word. In the offline version of the application, head search, settings, history and the function of saving bookmarks are available. This Russian explanatory dictionary is also available to owners of Android devices completely free of charge.
Other Fly smartphones
All Fly phone models can be found in our online store.
Specialized dictionaries
Good Russian medical dictionary for Android with basic terms translated into English. The application is distributed free of charge and works without an Internet connection. Requests are saved in history, and articles can be added to Favorites.
The dictionary is intended for Android users who have a good command of English. The appendix provides a complete definition of the word and examples of its use in speech, as well as origin, synonyms and antonyms. Voice search, pronunciation, illustrations are available if you have an Internet connection. The application is freely available.
If you're interested in dictionaries for Android, read our helpful review of translator apps.