Collins German Phrasebook and Dictionary Gem Edition: Essential phrases and words in a mini, travel-sized format (Collins Gem)

I bought this phrase book to replace the one I have been using for many years. It is smaller than my old one which is a bonus as it fits so much easier into my handbook and also it's much easier to have a quick look at without it being obvious you are reading a phrase book. I found it especially useful for dining out where a literal translation isn't always the correct translation. The book itself is very well laid out and it is very easy to navigate. I highly recommend this inexpensive holiday companion.

Wonderful little book that slips in your pocket or bag. Very well laid out, so able to finds words phrases quickly, and pronounciation guide. Well worth the money if going to Germany with little knowledge of the language.

I'm happy with my purchase. As phrasebooks go this one covers many potential situations, although in some cases the language is a little formal. That said there are a lot of useful phrases included, which will help the novice get by. The dictionary is good too.

This is just what I hoped it would be. 100 pages dictionary (English - German and German - English) with the words you'll find useful. 18 page menu guide (not just words like chicken, but also ones like Kaiserschmarren). Also sections on travel, accommodation, clothing, travel. I just need this one slim book now when I visit Germany, Austria, Switzerland. I'll investigate the French and Italian ones now.

Smaller and neater than I envisaged (8cms x 10.5cms), this wee book fitted into my handbag with no bother. I was on holiday in Berlin for a week, and though English is widely spoken there, I used the Menu Reader section every day (knowing what I'm ordering in restaurants is important to me since I'm a veggie!) I also frequently referred to the vocabulary lists (with pronunciation guide beside each word) in the Shopping and Eating Out sections. The colour coded sections were great for finding relevant pages quickly. The bit I used the most though, was the dictionary at the back - both German to English and English to German. This takes up more than a third of the book. It's much smaller and more concise than a full-blown dictionary, yet there are enough words in it for everyday use. The book also contains many other helpful topics like Key Phrases, Polite Expressions, Pronunciation and Asking the Way, and though I didn't personally refer to them during my short stay, it was reassuring to know they were handy! I give this invaluable wee travelling companion full marks for its compact size, easy layout and useful dictionary.

As I am learning German, I bought this principally for the audio CD as a means of keeping my ears engaged in the sound of spoken German and to that extent it is ideal. The phrasebook whilst full of useful content is awkward to handle because of its thin page tightly bound construction. If it is just a phrasebook you are after I would recomend looking elsewhere. The CD though is excellent.

I can't mark this down because of my one complaint - it's a wee Gem book so it's compact and small, I am blind Pew without my glasses - it's an age thing, used to have perfect vision until my mid 40's but now it's going to pot. Anyway, it's good, laid out in sensible sections etc - my daughter used it more than me but I did use quite a few of the phrases. It gets you started but some of the Germans we spoke to were either not prepared to hang about listening to my poor excuse for a sentence or they just couldn't make head nor tail what with my Yorkshire accent n'all. My daughter though, she's Scottish, that's akin to saying things fluently in Germany, pfffttttt.

Comprehensive and phonetics are useful

Love this phrase book whenever around German speaking people.So handy for travel,etc.

Parfait pour moi qui ne parle pas du tout allemand et qui dois m'y rendre pour le travail. J'ai acheté le même pour le français il y a 20 ans et je l'utilise toujours.

Excelente

I have never spoken German; so I bought this book shortly before my trip to Germany. Using the book, I asked our restaurant servers a couple of questions from words I pieced together from the book. The dictionary was very helpful. I was able to communicate what I needed. In one case, my usage from the book was good enough that the server thought I could speak German and asked a question in German! For a brief visit, this book is an excellent resource.

収録総数はそんなに多いわけではないですが、項目のまとめ方がうまく、編集も巧みで、見やすく使いやすいです。巻末のMenu readerが地味に役立ちました。類書がいくつかありますので、サンプルで比較して購入されることをオススメします。