Even the most experience bilingual speakers need to be able to look up a word every now and then. A Spanish-English dictionary is a good tool to use when you are confused about the Spanish translation of a word into the English language. There are several important things to look for when purchasing a Spanish-English dictionary and many of them concern ease of use.
First, the dictionary should show what part of speech the word is. This is important because you might be completely sure what the context of the word is. Also, if the word can be used as two or more parts of speech, each one of these instances should be listed in the definition.
In addition, it is important that the dictionary list the multiple parts of speech using the same abbreviations and that multiple parts of speech exist for one word, it lists these different forms in both English and Spanish.
An English Spanish dictionary that lists the context that the word should be used is helpful as well. For example, the listing could include a short sentence or phrase to show how the word can be used. Including numerous examples showing the word in different contexts can indicate different uses.
When using a Spanish English dictionary, it is important to understand that you should use both parts of the dictionary, even if you are only looking up one word. One word can have several different meanings and uses in Spanish, so looking up the English entry may be helpful in finding which meaning or version of the word is the proper one for you to use.
Most English Spanish dictionaries do not list multiple verb tenses as they are used in Spanish, so you will have to translate the different forms by yourself. However, these types of dictionaries customarily do label words as masculine, feminine or both for ease of use.