English - Italian electronic pocket dictionary/translator?
 

Any suggestions as to which is the best english-italian electronic dictionary translator?
Thanks!

If you have a smartphone, the Google Translate app (iPhone or Android) would be a good place to start, as it is free.

I use free translation/dictionary apps on my Android phone. The apps come in free/paid, as well as online (such as Google translate)/offline versions.

If you don't have mobile internet access and need to use the app away from WIFI coverage, online versions will be useless to you.

However, there are usually tradeoffs. The offline versions are usually dictionary only and the amount of words are limited. The online versions can do translation of sentences using mobile internet. Many free apps are pretty useless. They have so few words.

Just be aware that Google Translate and the like don't always translate correctly.

None of these online tools or apps comes close to a truly decent translation. And how do you plan to use it? That makes a difference. Please don't say you plan to have "conversations" with people this way - no one will have the patience to deal with it. If it's just so you can understand things you're reading, fine. But do be aware that no software-based translation tool can ever be really accurate.

Google translate is actually fairly accurate and "smart" when it comes to Italian. It is certainly easier to translate things using Google than something like a electronic dictionary that gives only individual words. Italians will be extremely forgiving of any "mistakes" you make using an inaccurate phrase or grammar, so go for it! They will encourage you, so ignore the flak you are getting here. Additionally, Italians are quite enthusiastic about smart phones and electronic devices and are generally MUCH better-tempered than people you will encounter on travel message boards, so don't be surprised if you have a lot of fun with your smartphone or device in Italy. You show them yours, they'll show you theirs! ;-)

Problem with trying to translate spoken words is that you don't know to spell them. If you are looking to translate menus, then you might also want to pack a book like "Italy Dish by Dish", because menu items can be so peculiar, and they are often in dialect rather than standard Italian.

If you are not traveling with a smart phone, but want a translator so you can look up shopping words like "gloves" or "wine glasses" or" "snow chains", then I suggest that you go to a travel site like Magellan, or even go to Amazon, and look up items and reviews.

Good for you, by the way, for even being interested in communicating in Italian while you are in Italy.

PS: If you do bring a smartphone or other fancy electronic device, just make sure you hang onto it and flash it only at the right people. In places notorious for pickpocketing problems -- the tourist areas of Rome, Napoli/the Amalfi, Florence, Venice, parts of Genoa, Palermo and Bari, and train stations and airports generally -- "smart" devices are very attractive items to thieves.

Another thing. If you want to use your smartphone away from wifi hotspots, and you don't have a local SIM with cheap data plan, data roaming on your SIM will be extremely expensive.

I use google translate on my iphone when I'm in a bind and need to communicate in a difficult situation, for example when I need to ask the person behind the glass at the train ticket counter a question. I will type it in English, hit enter, and then hold up my phone to them; it shows up in nice bold letters that they can read. Now that I'm progressing with the language (Portuguese in my case), I know that google translate is not very accurate, but with it I've managed to get my point across and I don't think I've offended anyone yet :)

For those serious about language learning, and want verb conjugations etc, I would recommend the Colliers dictionary apps. Pricey but worth it.

If you install Google Goggles, you can take a photo of a sign or a menu, and have it translated by Google Translate.

Google Goggles also does a pretty good job of identifying buildings or statues you happen upon, at least on the well-beaten tourist path. (It does a good job in Florence, but not in my little backwater town.)

Old thread topped by a new member (possibly to advertise an app?? ).

The app world has change quite a lot since this was posted four years ago.

Not at all- I've seen many posts by bvlenci. And Google Googles aren't an app- they're literally glasses that you were. Rather dorky looking, if you ask me. I bet there are some great new apps but I'll be using my old stand by this summer. Bring a little pocket dictionary and make sure there are a lot of food words! It's all that really matters :)

>>Not at all- I've seen many posts by bvlenci.<<

Janisj was referring to whoever posted just above bvlenci. Since that person's post was deleted, I'm guessing it was some kind of advertiser.

Lee Ann

Gotcha, thanks!

Janice gets very upset when old threads rise to the top. It offends her sense of order.

I witnessed a man having a rather lengthy conversation via Google Translate the other day, negotiating a spa package purchase (of all things). It was a bit awkward but worked out fine in the end.

Nothing beats learning a language, but how wonderful that we have these tools to bridge the gap(s).

And what about advanced translation device?

I spent a bit of time with google translate this am. ground almonds, mandorle di terra, almonds of the earth. Huh?

I'd keep to learning the language :-)

So bilbo, your point is that a free app on your phone isn't perfect? How many travelers seek ground almonds, do you suppose? Have you tried asking it to translate "Where is the train station?"

I will agree that learning foreign languages is very impotant. But sometimes we go somewhere where we can't communicate in English (we don't know all languages). So I prefer to have the device. For me translator was the most useful in Romania and Hungary, Spain and in Italy (I don't know these languages). I don't trust Google Translator.

Crikey, I hope I'd know how to do that in a most places I was visiting.. If you look at the back of a good guide book you will find that sort of question. I hacked my way around Syria with such a guide book a few years back and apart from not know the word for a towel it was ok.

Nowadays languages are taught to levels A1-C2

I'd think google can achieve bits of A1 at a push

My concern with ground almond was just that what i was looking for that morning (no idea how many people ask for this but around Easter it could well be a subject of attention). Still I had to laugh because the Italian talking back to me insisted on calling me "She" which is a formal "you".

BTW in 1985 Japan promised to achieve Gen 4 standard by 1999 which would be real time translation of the top 10 languages, by 2016 it has achieved google translate.

On the other hand I got myself married in a foreign country using google translate, it just required multiple/multiple retranslations backward and forward to ensure I did not order a lightening conductor....