Dictionary frenzy!!!

One question.

How can I make some sense out of the bazillions of different words I end up with when searching a simple word in any english->japanese dictionary???

Which word is the right one, when there is no disctinction of meaning?

That's what I'm really wondering about.

1) Look at the Kanji - they help you with some of the shades of meaning.
2) Look up the words you found in a J→E dictionary (or wikipedia) or a J→J dictionary.
3) Look for example sentences using the words (google might be useful)

If you're using JimBreen's, sometimes you'll see a (P) beside a word, which means it's a commonly-used word. Usually the ones with a (P) are the ones you want. But there are some searches you'll find multiple words with (P) and then you're back with the same problem...

Okay, I'm using a Mac program called JEDict, which uses a common database found on the internet, it works pretty well and fast, and is offline (which is faster, and good too).

It doesn't seem to have any notation, like (P) or such, to indicate a common word...

For example, I want to find the word for moon, I search it and here are the words which can mean moon, without other conditions in the definition:

hisakata,
keigetsu,
tsuki,
gekkei,
hyourin,
taiin.

And that's just the words which can mean moon alone, not the ones which can mean, full moon, half-moon and so on!!!

moon is tsuki =) i just wanted to say that =) but i think i have the same thing...im not sure...but i dont have mac...so yeah

okay, thanks, I was still wondering about which one was the right one...

Anyway, I see I'll have to ask every single word I want to add to my vocabulary or else I'll start speaking weird

I usually use WAKAn its there --> http://wakan.manga.cz/

1) 久方 sky, moon
The Kanji and the definition give a fairly good idea that this isn't the one you want. Looking in 大辞林 told me that it means anything concerning the sky, like sky, rain sun etc.

2) 桂月 【けいげつ】 (arch) moon
arch means archaic so we can discount this one

3) 月 【つき】 (n-t) moon, month, (P)
bingo. Simple Kanji or just moon, kun reading and a appropriate definition.

4) 月桂 【げっけい】 laurel, the moon
The second Kanji and 'laurel' in the definition makes me doubt this one. It didn't come up in my IME either so I decided it wasn't worth looking up. But I did amyway. One definition does seem to be 月 but the main one is a tree that was in the moon in Chinese legend.

5) 太陰 【たいいん】 the moon, lunar
The Kanji make me think that this is the moon as a counterpart to the sun in astrology etc. I was almost right, 大辞林 says its the moon as opposed to the sun and used to avoid confusion with months in astronomy, calendar making and tidal studies.



But you probably want to use a good paper dictionary for E→J. These internet (ince JWPCE) ones are only designed for J→E

Morgana: Thanks, I would like to try it out, but I'm on a Mac!!!

KrazyKat: Okay... Thanks for the tips, I'll try to use kanjis a little to help, although I'm still not comfortable with these cryptic signs However, I must say that I felt a little stupid, because I read a couple pages of "Remembering Kanji" a couple of days ago, and now that you mention it, I remember the kanji for moon