# Electronic Translator



## loucaman (Apr 6, 2010)

Hi Guys,

I am coming to Mexico City in a few weeks for 6 months. My Spanish is not the best, so I am looking forward to practicing and improving once I am there.
My question is this. I was thinking of buying one of those small electronic translators before I go. I thought this might be useful and a lot easier to carry around than a dictionary. The problem is, all the ones I have found and seen on the Internet translate into Spanish and not Latino Spanish. Does anybody have a model they could recommend to me.

Thanks for your help,
Mark.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

loucaman said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I am coming to Mexico City in a few weeks for 6 months. My Spanish is not the best, so I am looking forward to practicing and improving once I am there.
> My question is this. I was thinking of buying one of those small electronic translators before I go. I thought this might be useful and a lot easier to carry around than a dictionary. The problem is, all the ones I have found and seen on the Internet translate into Spanish and not Latino Spanish. Does anybody have a model they could recommend to me.
> ...


I bought one on eBay for about $15. It turned out to be pretty useless. It was a pain to use and within a year it died. I have also bought three printed dictionaries at various times. However, what I actually use is a dictionary (Ultralingua) I got for an iPod Touch. The cost was comparable or less than a printed dictionary (assuming you have an iPod Touch or iPhone already). It has several hundred thousand words. It contains all of the verb conjugations. And it has a history feature for reviewing words you have recently looked up. I think everyone has the experience of looking up a word, then needing to find it again 5 minutes later. I also have a second, free, dictionary (SpanishDict) for the iPod Touch/iPhone that has some of the local or Nahuahtl terms that are missing from the first one. (e.g. tlapaleria, tinaco).

Disclaimer: I have no connection to any of the companies or products mentioned other than being a satisfied customer.

Will


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I once had a pocket translator, but it was also rather useless. Without a huge number of phrases and the ability to conjugate verbs, it is very difficult to make oneself understood. With an internet connection, Google Translate does a very good job, if you keep your phrases short and sweet. If you are going out shopping, for example, you could write down those things that you know you are going to need to communicate. Understanding the answer becomes the next challenge.


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## tanderson0o (Aug 30, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> I bought one on eBay for about $15. It turned out to be pretty useless. It was a pain to use and within a year it died. I have also bought three printed dictionaries at various times. However, what I actually use is a dictionary (Ultralingua) I got for an iPod Touch. The cost was comparable or less than a printed dictionary (assuming you have an iPod Touch or iPhone already). It has several hundred thousand words. It contains all of the verb conjugations. And it has a history feature for reviewing words you have recently looked up. I think everyone has the experience of looking up a word, then needing to find it again 5 minutes later. I also have a second, free, dictionary (SpanishDict) for the iPod Touch/iPhone that has some of the local or Nahuahtl terms that are missing from the first one. (e.g. tlapaleria, tinaco).
> 
> Disclaimer: I have no connection to any of the companies or products mentioned other than being a satisfied customer.
> 
> Will


I would second this. The best investment I made were both of these apps for my iPad. And as RV ****** mentioned, I live on Google Translate.


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## loucaman (Apr 6, 2010)

Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately, I don't have an iphone, or Itouch. I do use the google translator a lot and it is very helpful.
I did have an idea. If I wait until I get to Mexico, I would assume I might have more success finding a machine that translates in the correct dialect. 
Thank again for your input.
Mark.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

loucaman said:


> Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately, I don't have an iphone, or Itouch. I do use the google translator a lot and it is very helpful.
> I did have an idea. If I wait until I get to Mexico, I would assume I might have more success finding a machine that translates in the correct dialect.
> Thank again for your input.
> Mark.


I wouldn't wait if I were you. It is likely to be harder to find here than in the US. And electronics are more expensive in Mexico than in the US. Usually about a 30% price difference. Also, the differences between Spain Spanish and Latin American Spanish are going to be the least of your problems if you are just beginning. I wouldn't worry about that. Incidentally, most of the printed Spanish-English dictionaries you find here are aimed at Spanish speakers. It is not a big difference, but an inconvenience, especially at first when reading Spanish is not easy.

Will


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