Petit Robert : Dictionnaire De LA Langue Francaise

by Paul Robert, Josette Rey-Debove, Alain Rey, et al.

new in original packaging This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0004705254
• ISBN13: 9780004705255
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Collins
• Weight: 4.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Le Petit Robert

An essential tool for any serious student of French. Clarifies the precise meaning of words in French and helps you to use French like a native speaker.

Le meilleur

C'est le meilleur dictionnaire que j'ai vue de la langue francaise. Il y a tout dedans, l'étymologie, les homonymes et toutes les explications. je n'utilise patiquemment que cela pour chercher les mots que je ne connais pas. En europe il y a encore le Grand Robert avec plus d'informations, mais ceci est en un seul volume. Je l'aime!

An undeclared national treasure

The French really ought to declare this dictionary a national treasure. It is a monument of competent lexicography and contains a lot more information than the user suspects he or she might need some day. For each entry there is an etymology and date of first appearance in French; a vast cross-referencing network for synonyms, antonyms, analogues and homonyms; a complete definition covering social connotations; examples of how the word is actually used in diverse situations; and a phonetic transcription in IPA. Anyone with a serious interest in learning French will probably want to have this volume.

For a novice like I am, it is worth the buy

Once finished with the second semester French (or the latest, fourth semester, if you wait until you learn more about the subjunctive), one should primarily use this dictionary to find the meaning and etymology of the French vocabulary. One can still have a translational dictionary standing by, but by using le Petit Robert, one is forced to read the definition also in the same language, thus enforcing one's comprehension of the written language. FYI: the Larousse version is better illustrated, if one prefers such. I am giving this a five-star rating solely because thus far, this is the best one I have ever seen. The rating might change once I find a better alternative. As a companion to this dictionary, Le Petit Robert Des Noms Propres helps a lot once one starts to delve into the French literature, politic, and culture. For conjugation, I would recommend Bescherelle 1: La Conjugaison pour Tous, instead of the "501 French verbs." The former is logically arranged (and thinner and easier to carry!) by presenting one way of conjugating and then listing the rest of the words that fall into this category at the end-pages.