Organic Japanese

The Reading Tutor functions similarly to the popular Rikai, but in a much nicer format and with some additional functions.

To use it you just paste the Japanese text you are reading into the box and click the JP -> EN button. Another browser window then opens with the text you copied on the left and dictionary entries for all the vocabulary in a separate scrollable frame on the right. The difference between the JP -> EN and JP -> JP buttons is in the language of the example sentences displayed in the right column.

For example a JP -> JP entry for 倒れる:

【 たおれる 】

1	病気になって床につく 〔寝込む〕 come down sick / fall sick / break down / fall ill / get sick

2	立っていたものがころぶ collapse / topple / fall down / topple over / drop / slump / fall

3	立っている物が倒れる collapse / topple / fall down / topple over / drop / slump / fall

4	事故のために死ぬ 〔斃れる〕 die / be killed

5	国家や政府などがくつがえる collapse / be overthrown / fall

6	企業が倒産する 〔倒産する〕 go belly up / go bankrupt / go under / fail

And the JP -> EN entry of the same word:

【 たおれる 】

1	to be ill in bed come down sick / fall sick / break down / fall ill / get sick

2	of something standing, to fall down collapse / topple / fall down / topple over / drop / slump / fall

3	[topple] to become unsteady and fall down collapse / topple / fall down / topple over / drop / slump / fall

4	to be killed in an accident die / be killed

5	(of a nation or a government) to be subverted collapse / be overthrown / fall

6	[go bankrupt] of a firm, to become bankrupt go belly up / go bankrupt / go under / fail

This tool is obviously useful when translating as it gives you a number of synonyms in most cases, helping you to find the most appropriate term.

All words (not grammatical particles or numbers) become links in the central text that lead to the dictionary entry for that word in the right column. Because it is a frame, you never are moved from your place in the text, the word you are looking at just comes to the top.

Of course like other similar tools it is not good at recognizing longer terms, and three kanji compounds are often broken up into two parts, but it is a time saver. I generally use Eijiro on the Web, or JDIC (Eijiro is good for translating and technical terms but gives no furigana while JDIC lacks many specialized terms but has furigana) but for daily reading of news and editorials the Reading Tutor looks ideal.

There is also a function that shows you the “level” of the vocabulary and kanji in the text that you have entered. It divides the words up by the JLPT kyu levels just in case you were curious how difficult the text you’re trying to read is.