2,110 Pages, No Word Wasted – A Dictionary of Japanese Grammar, Reviewed
- A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
- A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar
- A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar
The Dictionary of Japanese Grammar series is separated into three books; Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. According to the back of the books, the entries were compiled by examining beginner, intermediate, and advanced textbooks in Japanese. However, this does not mean that the basic dictionary is in any way easier than the others. They all go into a great deal of detail and explain better than any other textbook I have seen.
INDEX
Summary – My Impression
Alright, the first impression I got from these books is that I wish I would have had them 20 years ago. These books are by far the best, most complete, easy to read Japanese language books I have ever seen. The authors of this book definitely know what Japanese learners struggle with and how to explain it to them so it makes sense.
I could say a lot about these but, the three main points I liked about the books were:
◆ Detail of Grammar and subtle difference between Related Words
◆ Examples and Social Aspects Explained so your Japanese is Natural
◆ Just enough Detail and No Words Wasted despite being 2,000 Pages
Details and Word Differences
At first glance, Japanese grammar does not look that hard. But after you study for a bit you learn that it is. Japanese is filled with subtle differences or nuances between words and phrases.
Where most others Fail
Most learning resources fail to explain these nuances. So, most people don’t realize there is a difference. That is unless a Japanese person tells them that they said something that does not sound quite right.
A Dictionary of Japanese Grammar Simplifies
These three books provide 2,000 pages of concise detail all about the meaning of grammatical words and phrases, when to use them or when to use other phrases, and the subtle nuances between them. The level of explanation in these books can not be found anywhere else. You would need to have years of exposure to native Japanese content or be living in Japan for years to get anything close.
Cultural Aspects of Words Explained
The dictionaries have both technical grammatical explanations and several example sentences. Even better, these books explain more than correct grammar. They also explain how when something is formal or informal, used more by males or females, mainly only in writing or speaking, and so on. Every page was carefully crafted to make sure that no question was left unanswered for any of the topics covered.
Detailed But not Wordy
Everything is in alphabetical order so you can easily find what you are looking for. Also, the dictionaries provide multiple example sentences and notes on things that are generally confusing for Japanese learners.
Don’t Skip the Grammar Terms Section
Make sure you are familiar with grammar and linguistics terminology. The grammar terms are the reason that the explanations are so short and simple. So, make sure to familiarize yourself with the grammar terms at the beginning of the book. This will make everything much easier to understand.
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