When learning any language, at some point you will need to purchase a dictionary.  But the question inevitably arises: what dictionary should I buy?  Currently the market is flooded with all kinds of dictionaries, for all levels of language, and they all have their own purpose.  Dictionaries are written with a specific audience in mind, so each dictionary is tailored towards providing information towards that target audience.  Choosing a dictionary is like finding a new pair of shoes: not all shoes are made for the same person, and they come in a dazzling array of colors, shapes and sizes.  Here is some information I’ve acquired over time about the different dictionaries that should make your decision a little easier.  I’ll take a look at the two major dictionary companies, but there are others, and you should find one that you feel most comfortable with.

Van Dale http://www.vandale.nl/vandale/

Van Dale is the most trusted name in Dutch dictionaries, and they provide dictionaries for anything from the basic children’s school level, to advanced academic level.  I have been really happy with this company and personally use their Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Nederlands/Engels, Engels/Nederlands series.  This particular series is designed for those who need academic level vocabulary resources.  The definitions are concise, yet (usually) accurate.  The drawback to this series is that it is written for Dutch native speakers, and therefore lacks much of the information I so desperately need out of a dictionary.  This dictionary does not tell me if a word is a de or a het word.  This dictionary does not give me the word used in a sentence. This dictionary has no pronunciation guidelines for the Dutch words, but Dutch pronunciation guidelines for the English words.  When giving the context for the word, it is given in Dutch.  As a non-native Dutch speaker, these are very important functions in a dictionary, and the deeper you delve into your language studies, the more often you will need this information.

Which leads me to…

…the Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Nederlands als Tweede Taal (NT2).  The target audience for this dictionary is people who are learning Dutch as a second language and studying for the state language proficiency exam.  The definitions are given in Dutch, which is both good and bad, depending on what you are looking for.  Honestly, if it is possible to love a dictionary, I would say I love this book.  Once you get past a certain level with your Dutch, you will find that having a definition in Dutch actually enriches your current vocabulary.  This dictionary tells whether a word is de or het, tells you the plural form of the word if it is a noun, gives you the perfect tense and imperfect tense conjugations if it is a verb, and gives an example of the word used in a sentence.  It even comes with a free online dictionary CD-ROM and you can hear the words pronounced out loud.  Other than it not being a “translation into English” dictionary, this book has made my life much much easier.

And last, the tiny little Van Dale Mini-woordenboek Engels-Nederlands/Nederlands-Engels.  I’m fairly certain this dictionary is intended for both native Dutch and English speakers as a tiny little thing to carry with you when you visit the other country.  It’s not comprehensive, but I did find that during the time when I needed to walk around with a dictionary, carrying it around in my bag was much more convenient than a big clunky dictionary.  One of the pro’s of this book is that it does list whether or not a word is a de or a het word.  One of the downfalls is that it is often lacking words I need to know.  But as far as the perfect purse or jacket-pocket dictionary, I have no complaints.

Prisma http://www.prisma.nl/

Other than Van Dale, the next leading dictionary company is Prisma.  I don’t happen to own a Prisma dictionary, but I do know a lot of people who do and they seem to get good use out of them.  They are generally less expensive than the Van Dale company.  Because I haven’t owned one, I can’t give a lengthy review, but what I can tell you is that if you pick out a Prisma dictionary, keep an eye out for the issues I mentioned above.  They hold true for any company you choose to go with.

Online Dictionaries and CD-ROM Programs

Many of the major dictionary publishers offer CD-ROM, internet versions, or downloadable versions of their dictionaries.  These are great.  I happen to have the Van Dale Groot Woordenboek installed on my computer, and it is much much faster than looking up words in an actual dictionary.  This is a great option for anyone who uses the computer a lot and finds looking up words in a dictionary tedious.

Online translation services are a whole different story.  To be quite frank, I think they are mostly very bad, although the technology is improving.  My advice is, unless you want to quickly translate something to get the very general meaning, steer very clear of these translation services.  They are generally wrong and inaccurate, and because it is computer generated, they are not flexible.  They will translate a lot of what you enter into them word for word, and this is a very bad thing.  Languages don’t often translate word for word.  These tools also have no room for context.  Many of the meanings of words depend very much on context.  If you still don’t believe me, here’s a prime example.

Horloge uit and kijk uit are not the same thing.  A horloge is a watch that you use for telling time.  The translation service spit out: watch (the timepiece) off.  Kijk uit is the appropriate way to tell someone to “Watch out!” when you mean, look out something might fall on your head!

To avoid this and other such embarrassing moments, use these services with caution.

Other Varieties

Dictionaries can be specific to all kinds of audiences.  Dictionaries are also specific to country.  Van Dale offers a series of Dutch dictionaries for those studying Dutch in Belgium.  Although they are the same language, the Dutch spoken in Belgium is not identical to that in the Netherlands.  In fact, the pronunciation is quite different.  If you are looking to learn Dutch for use in Belgium, you might want to forget any of the generalized Dutch dictionaries and look for one that specifically says it is for Belgium.