Multilingual dictionaries for e-readers: Japanese, French, German

Expand your language learning with free multilingual dictionaries for any e-reader. Whether you’re tackling Japanese kanji, French verb conjugations, or Russian Cyrillic text, having the right dictionary loaded on your device turns every book into an immersive language lesson. This guide covers the best free dictionaries for seven languages, with step-by-step installation instructions for Kindle, Kobo, and BOOX — plus tips to make the most of them as a language learner.

Where to Find Free Dictionary Files

Before diving into installation, here’s where to get quality dictionary files. Most free e-reader dictionaries are community-built, converted from open-source projects like Wiktionary, JMdict, and FreeDict.

Quick Download Links (Stardict format — works on BOOX, KOReader)

Note: The links above are for Stardict format (.tar.xz archives containing .dict/.idx/.ifo files). Extract with 7-Zip or tar -xf. These work directly on BOOX (NeoReader or GoldenDict) and KOReader. For Kindle (MOBI) or Kobo (dicthtml) formats, see the sources table below — MobileRead forums have the best community-converted dictionaries for those devices.

Source Repositories

Important note on legality: Many community dictionary conversions are derived from freely-licensed sources like Wiktionary, FreeDict, and JMdict. Avoid pirated commercial dictionaries (Oxford, Merriam-Webster, etc.) — stick to open-source projects to stay in the clear.

How to Install Custom Dictionaries

Kindle (MOBI format)

Kindle uses a custom .mobi dictionary format. Dictionaries go into the documents/dictionaries/ folder on your device.

1. Download a .mobi dictionary file from one of the sources above.
2. Connect your Kindle to your computer via USB.
3. Navigate to the documents/dictionaries/ folder. If it doesn’t exist, create it.
4. Copy the .mobi file into that folder.
5. Eject your Kindle safely.
6. On your Kindle, go to Settings → Language & Dictionaries → Dictionaries. Tap the language pair and select your newly installed dictionary.

Your Kindle remembers the last dictionary used per language, so once set, it’ll default to your custom dictionary next time you look up a word in that language.

Kobo (dicthtml format)

Kobo uses a .zip file renamed to dicthtml.zip — but don’t extract it, Kobo reads the zip archive directly. Each dictionary lives in a hidden folder under .kobo/custom-dict/.

1. Download the dictionary zip file for your language pair.
2. Connect your Kobo via USB.
3. Enable hidden files in your file explorer (the .kobo folder is hidden on Mac/Linux).
4. Navigate to .kobo/custom-dict/. If it doesn’t exist, create it.
5. Copy the dictionary zip file. Rename it to match Kobo’s naming convention: dicthtml-XX.zip where XX is the language code (ja for Japanese, fr for French, de for German, etc.). For bilingual dictionaries, use the source language code.
6. Eject and restart your Kobo. The dictionary will appear automatically when you long-press a word in a book set to that language.

Pro tip: Some Kobo dictionaries come as pre-converted dicthtml-XX.zip bundles on MobileRead — search the Kobo Developer’s Corner subforum.

BOOX (Stardict / MDX / Android apps)

BOOX runs Android, so you have multiple options: sideload dictionary files into the built-in NeoReader dictionary, or install a dedicated dictionary app.

Option 1: Built-in NeoReader dictionary (Stardict format)

1. Download Stardict-format dictionaries (.dict, .idx, .ifo files — you need all three for each dictionary).
2. Connect your BOOX via USB or use a cloud sync app.
3. Navigate to the dicts/ folder on internal storage. Create it if needed.
4. Copy all three files for each dictionary into the dicts/ folder.
5. Open NeoReader, long-press a word, and the dictionary results will appear.

Option 2: GoldenDict (recommended)

GoldenDict is the gold standard for Android dictionary apps on e-ink. It supports Stardict, MDX/MDD (Lingvo), Babylon, and more.

1. Install GoldenDict from the Google Play Store or F-Droid.
2. Download dictionaries in any supported format.
3. Place them in a folder like GoldenDict/ on internal storage.
4. Open GoldenDict → Menu → Dictionaries → Sources → Files, then point it at your folder.
5. In NeoReader, set GoldenDict as the default dictionary app (Apps → Default Dictionary App → GoldenDict).

Option 3: MDict

MDict supports the .mdx/.mdd format, which is widely available for Asian languages. Same setup flow as GoldenDict: install the app, place dictionary files, scan the folder, then set MDict as the default dictionary in NeoReader.

Dictionary Comparison by Language

Note: Audio pronunciation is generally not supported in e-ink dictionary files. For audio, use a companion language-learning app on your phone or tablet alongside your e-reader. For Kindle MOBI and Kobo dicthtml formats, the MobileRead forums have the most comprehensive community-converted dictionaries.

Japanese Dictionaries

Japanese-English Dictionary

The gold standard for Japanese-English is the JMdict database, maintained by the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group (EDRDG). It contains over 190,000 entries with kanji, kana readings, English definitions, and part-of-speech tags. Most community conversions include JLPT level indicators (N5 through N1), making it easy to prioritize vocabulary for your current study level.

Download: JMdict J→E Stardict (173,747 entries) — extract the .tar.xz archive into your BOOX dicts/ folder or GoldenDict directory.

For Kindle MOBI format, search “JMdict” on the MobileRead Kindle dictionary forum.

Kanji Dictionary

The KANJIDIC2 database covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji plus several thousand additional characters. Entries include stroke count, radical, on’yomi and kun’yomi readings, English meanings, and JLPT classification. This is essential for learners beyond the beginner level who need to distinguish visually similar characters.

Converted versions are available on MobileRead as both standalone MOBI dictionaries and combined Japanese-English + kanji packages.

Japanese Grammar Dictionary

The JGram community project compiles over 700 grammar patterns with explanations, usage notes, and example sentences. As a dictionary file, it behaves like any other lookup dictionary — tap or long-press a grammar particle in your Japanese ebook and the relevant grammar entry appears. Converted MOBI and Stardict versions are available through MobileRead.

French Dictionaries

French-English Dictionary

The FreeDict French-English dictionary offers 8,500+ entries, but for serious learners, the WikDict Wiktionary-based builds offer much better coverage. For desktop/GoldenDict, the German→French WikDict (59,631 entries) is actually larger and can be used in reverse via GoldenDict’s scan-popup feature.

Download: WikDict DE→FR Stardict (59,631 entries) or FreeDict FR→EN Stardict (8,505 entries, lighter).

For Kindle MOBI and Kobo dicthtml, MobileRead forums have community-converted French dictionaries with better coverage than FreeDict.

French Grammar Guide

A companion grammar reference covers essential French verb conjugations, the subjunctive mood, relative pronouns, and the passé composé vs. imparfait distinction. When installed alongside a bilingual dictionary on Kobo or BOOX, you can look up grammar structures the same way you’d look up vocabulary — tap a word like “subjonctif” or a conjugated verb form and get a grammar explanation.

German Dictionaries

German-English Dictionary

FreeDict’s German-English dictionary is the largest in the entire FreeDict collection — over 517,000 entries with noun genders (der/die/das), plural forms, and case information. This is an exceptionally high-quality dictionary built from the TU Chemnitz dictionary data, not an automated Wiktionary scrape. It includes IPA pronunciation, usage examples, and detailed part-of-speech tags.

Download: FreeDict DE→EN Stardict (517,534 entries, 36MB) — the best free German-English dictionary available. Also available as dictd format for desktop GoldenDict.

For Kindle MOBI format, the same dictionary has been converted by the community — search “FreeDict German-English” on MobileRead.

German Grammar Reference

German grammar dictionaries on e-readers typically cover the four cases (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv), verb conjugation tables for strong and weak verbs, and preposition case requirements. Many are built from the open-source German grammar resources on Wikibooks. Install alongside your German-English dictionary for a complete reading-and-learning toolkit.

Other Languages

Spanish-English Dictionary

The WikDict Spanish-English dictionary covers over 64,000 headwords with verb conjugation indicators, regional usage notes (Latin American vs. Peninsular Spanish), and part-of-speech tags. It’s built from Wiktionary data and updated regularly — the 2025.11.23 release is current.

Download: WikDict EN→ES Stardict (64,258 entries, 4MB). Also available as dictd format for GoldenDict.

For MOBI (Kindle) and dicthtml (Kobo), MobileRead forums have community conversions — the WikDict data is newer and more comprehensive than older FreeDict builds.

Italian-English Dictionary

The WikDict Italian-English dictionary supplies 53,000+ headwords from Wiktionary, with gender labels, part-of-speech tags, and usage examples. It’s regularly updated and covers modern Italian vocabulary well.

Download: WikDict IT→EN Stardict (53,258 entries, 1.3MB).

Russian-English Dictionary

WikDict Russian-English includes 62,000+ entries with full Cyrillic script support and stress marks on Russian words. Verb aspect pairs (imperfective/perfective) are included, which is critical for Russian learners. Make sure your e-reader has a Cyrillic-capable font installed — most modern e-readers handle this out of the box, but older Kindle models may need a custom font like Noto Serif.

Download: WikDict RU→EN Stardict (42,600 entries, 1.5MB).

Arabic-English Dictionary

Arabic-English dictionaries are the most technically challenging on e-ink due to right-to-left script rendering and diacritic marks. The FreeDict Arabic-English dictionary has 53,000 entries. Kobo handles Arabic script better than Kindle for dictionary lookups. On BOOX, GoldenDict with a well-formatted MDX dictionary gives the best Arabic display. Test a few words before committing to one version — rendering quality varies between devices and dictionary builds.

Download: FreeDict AR→EN Stardict (52,996 entries, 1MB).

How to Switch Between Dictionaries While Reading

One of the best features for language learners is installing multiple dictionaries and switching between them on the fly.

On Kindle: After looking up a word, tap the dictionary name at the bottom-right of the definition popup. A list of all installed dictionaries for that language appears — tap the one you want to switch to. Kindle remembers your choice per language. You can also install both a bilingual dictionary (French-English) and a monolingual dictionary (French-French) and switch between them during a single reading session.

On Kobo: Kobo automatically selects the dictionary matching the book’s language metadata. To use multiple dictionaries, ensure each dictionary file is named with the correct language code. For dual-language setups, some users keep two copies of the same book with different language metadata in Calibre, each pointing to a different dictionary. Not elegant, but it works.

On BOOX with GoldenDict: GoldenDict supports simultaneous lookup across multiple dictionaries. Enable “Group dictionaries” in GoldenDict settings and tap any word — you’ll see results from all installed dictionaries at once. You can configure scan groups to limit which dictionaries activate for which content. This is by far the most flexible setup for serious language learners.

Language Learning Tips

• Read bilingual books with your target language dictionary installed — look up unknown words without leaving the page.
• Use parallel texts (side-by-side translations) to compare sentence structures between your native language and the target language.
• Install both a bilingual dictionary AND a monolingual dictionary for advanced study — transition from translated definitions to thinking entirely in the target language.
• Highlight unknown words and review them later. On Kindle, highlights sync to your Amazon account. On Kobo, they export via the annotations file. On BOOX, use the built-in notepad or export highlights to a flashcard app like Anki.
• Start with books where you understand 90–95% of the vocabulary. Any harder and you’ll spend more time in the dictionary than reading.
• For Japanese learners: install a kanji dictionary alongside the J-E dictionary so you can tap a kanji to see stroke order, readings, and radicals.
• For German and French learners: look up every noun you encounter, even if you know the meaning. The dictionary shows the gender — building gender intuition early saves you from rewiring bad habits later.
• Use your e-reader’s built-in vocabulary builder (Kindle’s Vocabulary Builder, Kobo’s My Words) to revisit looked-up words. Treat it as a spaced-repetition review tool built into your reading workflow.
• If you own a BOOX, install AnkiDroid alongside GoldenDict. Look up a word, add it to an Anki deck with one tap, and review later with spaced repetition — all on the same device.