Online dictionaries
This page contains a list of online (web-based) Japanese-language
dictionaries. See also How can I find the Japanese name of a film, person, plant, etc.? for hints on when you cannot
find something in the dictionary. See also
Online kanji dictionaries for looking up kanji.
Edict / kanjidic based sites
The following sites are all based on the electronic dictionaries
compiled by Professor Jim Breen of Monash University in Australia.
- WWWJDIC
-
WWWJDIC is Jim Breen's own interface to his "Edict", "Kanjidic",
and "Enamdic" dictionaries. WWWJDIC is an online Japanese dictionary
based on Edict and other electronic dictionaries of Jim Breen. The
downloadable dictionaries contain around one hundred thousand Japanese
to English translations, as well as the readings of several hundred
thousand names in Enamdict, many example sentences, and audio versions
of the words.
Several mirror sites of WWWJDIC also exist around the world.
- Denshi Jisho
- Online Japanese dictionary by Kim Ahlstrom, based on Edict and the
related dictionaries. Features a word, kanji, multiradical lookup, and
example sentence lookup, and has options for romaji input and
output.
- Tangorin
- Online dictionary by Grzegorz Bober. Features Words, Kanji,
Multiradical Words, Multiradical Kanji, Example Sentences, Proper
Names, Classical Japanese and Specialized Dictionaries.
- popjisyo
-
This page helps you to read web sites which are written in
Japanese. You enter a URL into Popjisyo, and it makes a page which
pops up windows in your browser which show the meaning of the words as
you move the mouse over them.
- Todd David Rudick's Rikai
- Popjisyo is a clone of this site.
- Romajidesu
-
Romajidesu is a dictionary based on Jim Breen's JMDict with many
additional features such as sample sentences, kanji stroke order, and
audio pronunciation.
Commercial dictionary based sites
The following sites are based on various commercial Japanese
dictionaries.
- Goo
dictionary
-
Goo's dictionary contains the EXCEED English to Japanese and Japanese
to English dictionaries, as well as the Japanese to Japanese
Daijirin and Shingojiten (new word) dictionaries. The
interface is in Japanese. See What "false friends" are there between Japanese and English? if the name "Goo"
seems confusing.
-
Kenkyusha's Online Dictionary
-
A very large and authoritative dictionary. Requires payment to access.
-
bab.la language portal Japanese-English-Japanese dictionary
Non-Edict contribution-based dictionaries
- Eijiro (英字郎)
- A user-contributed dictionary which values quantity over quality.
- Wiktionary
-
This is the dictionary associated with Wikipedia.
Other lists of dictionaries
-
Online
Japanese Dictionaries and Glossaries
-
A list from Jim Breen, contains
general and specialized dictionaries.
Copyright © 1994-2025 Ben Bullock
If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact
Ben Bullock
or use the discussion forum / Privacy policy
