"With a copy of Kodansha's Romanized Japanese-English Dictionary at hand - with its romanized entries, definitions, compounds, phrases, sample sentences, and three useful appendices - learners of Japanese now have an up-to-date and practical dictionary that they can depend on as they progress from beginner through intermediate to advanced level Japanese. Until now, even beginners have had to struggle with inadequate materials that require at least a basic command of kanji. And, learners at every level have all felt the need for a dictionary that is at once compact, comprehensive, and designed for their needs. Kodansha's Romanized Japanese-English Dictionary is unique for precisely this reason. Based on an established and widely-used dictionary for Japanese junior high school students, Romanized has been radically modified and expanded to meet the very special requirements of non-native learners. And because entries are romanized and listed in familiar alphabetical order, even the complete novice with no knowledge of kanji or kana will find this dictionary remarkably easy to use." "COMPREHENSIVE. All 16,000 informative and useful vocabulary items are presented in both romanized and standard Japanese script. Specially written definitions and a generous selection of sample sentences offer expert guidance on points of grammar, meaning, style, orthography, pronunciation, and punctuation. Foreign loan words, often ignored in other basic dictionaries, are given ample coverage and in-depth treatment. Concise and meaningful explanations clarify even the most troublesome cultural terms. Three clearly written appendices explain in detail such complicated areas as conjugating verbs and adjectives, counting, and articulating foreign place names in Japanese." "COMPACT. Kodansha's Romanized Japanese-English Dictionary is an easy-to-use reference work published in a portable and handy format. Convenient to carry in a shoulder-bag or briefcase, Romanized is the ideal choice for taking to class or on a business trip. Whether at home or the office, on a train or a plane, it is the perfect companion for today's student of modern spoken Japanese."--Jacket.