How to choose the right word in a Dictionary?

[sodapple]

Mina-san:

I don't know if you have problems finding the right word in a dictionary, or if you have any trick to use the right word. Well, the problem is that if I want to make a sentence and I need a new word, and I search it, I found many posibilities with the same meaning .

Of course, supose you don't have many time to be finding an example or watching anime, manga or movies to see if the word you choose is the right, and less if like me we may be never put a feet in japan, or we don't have japanese friends ( I want female japanese friends ). and more important I don't wanna post a new topic in this forum to know the right words. surely you will hate me and JapanesePod will get me out of here too.

so... any piece of advice to choose the right word in a dictionay?

yoroshiku, arigatou gozaimasu!! mata ne

[Javizy]

I wish I knew the answer to this! My sentences always come out terribly when I rely on the dictionary.

I have kodansha's furigana dictionary, which has one or two example sentences for each word, and use it to cross-reference words when looking them up with the dictionary on my computer. You might find this dictionary helpful; if you click the [Ex] link that follows the word results, it leads you to a load of example sentences for that word, so you can get a better feel for how it is used.

I'm getting pretty desperate for a decent electronic dictionary. I wonder if they have example sentences though...

[sodapple]

Actually, I know the dictionary you talk me about. I say is a great dictionary. I think you get some usefull examples when you click [A] too. you know? the real biggest problem is that not always I can be infront a computer. And I'm in the same way like you waiting a respectable Dictionary, in my case for PC, with examples and if they come with some help of romaji that could be great. mata ne!!

[Jason]

This site is an excellent place to look up words and even phrases and get lots of examples in context so you know which is appropriate. The site's all in Japanese, but the only thing you really need to use the site is the search box at the very top.

[sodapple]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaii !!

Arigatou gozaimasu !!

[Milmi]

Yahoo's dictionary is also extremely useful with huge vocabulary and example sentences for almost all the entries. English --> Japanese search is much better than that of Jim Breen's and there are dictionaries for synonym's and word explanations (in Japanese), too!