Grammar Dictionaries -- どんな時どう使う??

shneen Member

From: Yamanashi-ken Registered: 2006-02-12 Posts: 113 Website

So I was wondering if anyone had the どんな時どう使う grammar dictionary? What do you think of it? http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%81%A9%E3%82 … BOG296V4CL

I'm in need of a good, fairly comprehensive grammar dictionary to have on hand for reference. I know a lot of people seem to get behind the A Dictionary of Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Japanese Grammar books, but the screen shots I've seen have a lot of English in them... I get a better grasp of grammar if there's a Japanese explanation...

Jarvik7 Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

I've never seen a Japanese as a second language grammar reference with Japanese definitions that was even remotely decent. They all describe various similar grammar concepts with the same vague definition. They are after-all limited to the vocabulary level of the people learning the grammar topics.

Just get the Basic/Intermediate/Advanced books. They are simply THE best grammar references for Japanese. The explanations may be in English, but there is a wealth of sample sentences in full Japanese for you to read. The definitions are also way more complete and detailed than any other book I've seen.

-edit-
fix word swap

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2008 August 06, 10:23 pm)

atreya Member

From: India Registered: 2007-10-25 Posts: 177

Jarvik7 wrote:
Just get the Basic/Intermediate/Advanced books. They are simply THE best grammar references for Japanese. The explanations may be in Japanese, but there is a wealth of sample sentences in full Japanese for you to read. The definitions are also way more complete and detailed than any other book I've seen.

Aren't the explanations in english in those books ? o_0

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wonk2001 Member

From: Quebec Canada Registered: 2007-06-17 Posts: 15

atreya wrote:
Jarvik7 wrote:
Just get the Basic/Intermediate/Advanced books. They are simply THE best grammar references for Japanese. The explanations may be in Japanese, but there is a wealth of sample sentences in full Japanese for you to read. The definitions are also way more complete and detailed than any other book I've seen.
Aren't the explanations in english in those books ? o_0

Yes they are in English! I'm sure Jarvik7 meant ''The explanations may NOT be in Japanese'' or ''The explanations may be in ENGLISH''
Anyways, it is in English!

Katsuo M.O.D.

From: Tokyo Registered: 2007-02-06 Posts: 887 Website

I have both and use both.

There's a big price difference:
ALC ~ 2,900 yen (one volume)
Japan Times: ~ 11,700 yen (for all three volumes)

The JT books are more comprehensive: the ALC book is geared towards the JLPT.

Incidentally, the ALC book is a compilation/update from previous publications:
Intermediate & Advanced and
Beginner & Intermediate

These are both still available.

The Intermediate & Advanced book has grammar explanations in Japanese only (I'm not familiar with the Beginner & Intermediate book). The newer ALC book also translates the explanations into English, Chinese and Korean.

Serge Member

From: Tokyo Registered: 2006-04-04 Posts: 275

Wow, I can see that the Advanced book is finally out? Has anyone bought it yet? What kind of stuff does it cover?

Finally being in Tokyo I suppose I can just run to the book store during my lunch break and check it out but I'm so excited I can't wait! Those are the best books ever!

Katsuo M.O.D.

From: Tokyo Registered: 2007-02-06 Posts: 887 Website

Serge wrote:
Wow, I can see that the Advanced book is finally out? Has anyone bought it yet?

Couldn't resist. I saw it in Tower Records Shibuya a few weeks ago.

Serge wrote:
What kind of stuff does it cover?

One rather appropriate expression it covers is この上ない.

Mcjon01 Member

From: 大阪 Registered: 2007-04-09 Posts: 551

I've got it, but I haven't really spent any time with it since it's way beyond my level. I just felt compelled to round out my collection.

Still, just from glancing through it, it seems just as awesome as the other two.

shneen Member

From: Yamanashi-ken Registered: 2006-02-12 Posts: 113 Website

Katsuo wrote:
I have both and use both.

There's a big price difference:
ALC ~ 2,900 yen (one volume)
Japan Times: ~ 11,700 yen (for all three volumes)

The JT books are more comprehensive: the ALC book is geared towards the JLPT.

Incidentally, the ALC book is a compilation/update from previous publications:
Intermediate & Advanced and
Beginner & Intermediate

These are both still available.

The Intermediate & Advanced book has grammar explanations in Japanese only (I'm not familiar with the Beginner & Intermediate book). The newer ALC book also translates the explanations into English, Chinese and Korean.

Yeah, the price difference is a motivator I have the Intermediate and Advanced text from ALC, and I rather like it. That, plus price, is why I was leaning that way, as opposed to the Japan Times books.

I might pick up the ALC book and see how I get along. I don't need anything with great big long explanations in it, as I'm not looking to study from it, more or less just something I can fall back on when I have a brain fart and need to refresh my memory....

Serge Member

From: Tokyo Registered: 2006-04-04 Posts: 275

Sold out in my local Maruzen store. (>_<)

Zarxrax Member

From: North Carolina Registered: 2008-03-24 Posts: 949

On the topic of grammar dictionaries, does anyone know of one that's in an electronic format? I just can't imagine dragging out a set of friggin' huge books every time I need to look up a grammar point!

Jarvik7 Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

Zarxrax wrote:
On the topic of grammar dictionaries, does anyone know of one that's in an electronic format? I just can't imagine dragging out a set of friggin' huge books every time I need to look up a grammar point!

Pretty sure that there isn't one.

chamcham Member

Registered: 2005-11-11 Posts: 1444

Zarxrax wrote:
On the topic of grammar dictionaries, does anyone know of one that's in an electronic format? I just can't imagine dragging out a set of friggin' huge books every time I need to look up a grammar point!

http://www.jgram.org is probably your best bet

A good amount of the examples sentences at jgram.org are
directly from the Kanzen Master grammar books.

So it's great if you already have those books.

Even better there are comments from native speakers regarding
each grammar point along with a discussion thread.

Lastly, the grammar is even organized by JLPT level
and they even have random grammar quizzes for each level... :-p

Last edited by chamcham (2008 August 09, 6:41 pm)

Serge Member

From: Tokyo Registered: 2006-04-04 Posts: 275

Serge wrote:
Wow, I can see that the Advanced book is finally out? Has anyone bought it yet? What kind of stuff does it cover?

Finally being in Tokyo I suppose I can just run to the book store during my lunch break and check it out but I'm so excited I can't wait! Those are the best books ever!

Got my copy at Kinokuniya over the weekend... I've got a feeling the authors dumped everything in it that they'd forgotten in the first two books. I mean: what's so 'advanced' about the word つまり? Or how does it even merit a separate entry in a grammar dictionary? But the book has a lot of useful stuff well.

Katsuo M.O.D.

From: Tokyo Registered: 2007-02-06 Posts: 887 Website

Serge wrote:
I mean: what's so 'advanced' about the word つまり

?? つまり is in the intermediate book.

Serge Member

From: Tokyo Registered: 2006-04-04 Posts: 275

Katsuo wrote:
Serge wrote:
I mean: what's so 'advanced' about the word つまり
?? つまり is in the intermediate book.

Very true. I was thumbing through the intermediate book at the time, hence the confusion. But then again - what's so intermediate about this word? It's just a word... Still, the 3 dictionaries are great.

canji Member

From: Portland OR Registered: 2008-07-25 Posts: 52

Sorry to be dim,

The Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Grammar books are from Japan Times, correct?

And these the books that most people here are recommending?

Last edited by canji (2008 August 18, 2:17 am)

erlog Member

From: Japan Registered: 2007-01-25 Posts: 633

I recently bought this book, and I've spent some significant time with it. I really really like it. The english explanations are brief(as they should be), and there ample example sentences for each of the expressions. It's one of the most usable Japanese grammar books I've seen.

Also, the sentences are also fairly interesting by themselves. I've taken to flipping through the book before I go to bed to familiarize myself with stuff I haven't seen before. It's a great book, and I really can't recommend it enough.

canji Member

From: Portland OR Registered: 2008-07-25 Posts: 52

erlog wrote:
I recently bought this book

Sorry, which book?

Katsuo M.O.D.

From: Tokyo Registered: 2007-02-06 Posts: 887 Website

canji wrote:
The Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Grammar books are from Japan Times, correct?

Yes.

canji wrote:
And these the books that most people here are recommending?

Yes.

But I think erlog is referring to the book in the title of this thread, which is published by ALC.

Index » Learning resources

Jarvik7 wrote:

atreya wrote:

Jarvik7 wrote:

Serge wrote:

Serge wrote:

Katsuo wrote:

Zarxrax wrote:

Zarxrax wrote:

Serge wrote:

Serge wrote:

Katsuo wrote:

Serge wrote:

erlog wrote:

canji wrote:

canji wrote: