How to Look Up Japanese Words on an iPhone342

Looking up Japanese words on an iPhone is a breeze with the built-in Japanese dictionary. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Open the "Settings" app

On your iPhone's home screen, tap the "Settings" app icon. It resembles a gear.

2. Select "General"

In the Settings app, scroll down and tap the "General" option.

3. Scroll down and select "Keyboard"

Under the "General" menu, find and tap the "Keyboard" option.

4. Tap "Add New Keyboard..."

In the Keyboard settings, tap the "Add New Keyboard..." option.

5. Select "Japanese - Romaji"

On the list of available keyboards, scroll down and tap "Japanese - Romaji".

6. Return to the home screen and open any text field

Once the Japanese keyboard is added, return to your home screen and open any app that allows you to type text, such as Notes, Messages, or Safari.

7. Swipe up on the globe icon

To switch to the Japanese keyboard, tap and hold the globe icon on the keyboard and swipe up. Alternatively, you can tap the globe icon and select the Japanese keyboard.

8. Start typing the Japanese word in Romaji

Using the Japanese keyboard, start typing the Japanese word you want to look up using Romaji (the romanized version of Japanese characters). For example, to look up the word "ありがとう (thank you)", type "arigatou".

9. Suggestions will appear

As you type, suggestions for Japanese words that match your Romaji input will appear above the keyboard. Tap the corresponding suggestion to see the meaning and other details.

10. View the word's details

Once you tap a suggestion, you'll see the following details about the word:
Japanese characters: The original Japanese characters for the word
Meaning: The English translation of the word
Speech: The part of speech (e.g., noun, verb, adjective)
Additional information: May include pronunciation and usage examples

You can also tap the "More" button to view additional information, such as:
Kanji readings
Conjugation tables (for verbs and adjectives)
Related words and expressions

Tips for Using the Japanese Dictionary* Use Romaji to search: The Japanese dictionary only supports searching for Japanese words using Romaji.
* Try different spellings: If you don't get results for a particular spelling, try alternative Romaji spellings.
* Use wildcards: To search for words that contain a specific sequence of characters, use asterisks (*) as wildcards. For example, typing "o*i" will find words that contain the "oi" sequence, such as "kawaii" and "oisoi".
* Save words to your favorites: If you frequently use certain Japanese words, you can save them to your favorites by tapping the star icon in the word's details.
* Use the dictionary offline: Once you've downloaded the Japanese dictionary, you can use it offline without an internet connection.

Additional Ways to Look Up Japanese WordsBesides the built-in Japanese dictionary, there are other ways to look up Japanese words on an iPhone:
* Japanese language learning apps: Many Japanese language learning apps offer dictionary functionality.
* Online dictionaries: You can use online dictionaries like or to look up Japanese words.
* Use a third-party keyboard: There are third-party keyboards available in the App Store that provide Japanese dictionary functionality.

2024-11-10

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