Score:
1 2 3 (4) 5 6 7 8 9 10
“Four outta ten!”
Pros:
Portuguese-English section good enough for certain look-ups; sample sentences beneath some entries; actually decent if looked at as an extensive vocabulary list rathern than a comprehensive dictionary; a nice extra when packed with Living Language’s Portuguese lesson book & CD
Cons:
price for the number of words (and lack of extras); nothing added, such as helpful verb tables; meager, especially the English-Portuguese section; some mistakes; doesn’t offer cues to clarify difference between word choices (catastrophic in English-Portuguese section)
Living Language offers the Portuguese Learner’s Dictionary as part of the Brazilian Portuguese Complete Course: The Basics
Since I have found this dictionary sold separately at some bookstores for around $7-$8 US, I’m choosing to review it as a stand-alone resource.
This dictionary is split into two sections: a Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese. The longer Portuguese-English section prints entries in bold. Adjectives are indicated by adj., noun genders as m. and f. Some Portuguese entries are written in all-caps, presumably more basic or important words.
The information given isn’t always accurate. For instance, ACASO is listed as an adjective, not as the adverb it really is.
This dictionary’s strongest feature is the inclusion of short Portuguese phrases and sentences below some entries. Unfortunately, the translations and examples aren’t always specific enough to clarify the varied uses of tougher words. What’s more, these sample phrases seem to be substituted for something better – relevant key terms used when words have multiple (and potentially confusing) translations.
The English-Portuguese section shares all the same properties, except that it doesn’t regularly indicate parts of speech and it’s much shorter. Even worse, the lack of differentiation between words with multiple meanings in Portuguese makes looking up tough words a disaster – you can only guess that you’re using the right one. A concise list of proper names is found after both sections.
If you’re using the Portuguese Learner’s Dictionary alongside Living Language’s Brazilian Portuguese course (see first paragraph), you will profit from it as long as you think of it as an extended vocabulary list. If you’re looking for a dictionary, my recommendation is that you spend a bit more for a better one.