The EDICT Dictionary File

Welcome to the Home Page of the EDICT file within the JMdict/EDICT Project; founded, coordinated and more-or-less single-handedly run by Jim Breen (hereafter "I" or "me"). This page is intended as an overview of the file, with links to more detail elsewhere.

Background

Way back in 1991 I began to experiment with handling Japanese text in computer files, and decided to try writing a dictionary search program in Turbo C under DOS, which used a simple dictionary file contained in the MOKE (Mark's Own Kanji Editor) package. To make this program more useful, I began to expand the file itself. One thing led to another, until I ended up running a fairly major project which has taken over a large portion of my life. I must acknowledge that the EDICT project has depended on many people who have provided material and editorial assistance. A significant proportion of the compilation process has been carried out using electronic mail and file transfers, and indeed the project would never have occurred without the services provided by the Internet.

What is EDICT?

EDICT is a Japanese-English Dictionary file. For the full details, see the full documentation, or the old documentation.

It is a plain text document in EUC-JP coding, with its own format (which has become known as "EDICT-format"). (samples) Originally it was compiled and edited in this format, but since 1999 it has been generated as a legacy file from an expanded internal database, along with the related JMdict (Japanese-Multilingual Dictionary) project. JMdict is an expanded file, containing French, German, Russian, etc. translation, and is in XML format and UTF-8 coding.

The EDICT file currently has about 120,000 entries.

A short overview of the EDICT project as parallel English/Japanese text is available.

Download

You can download the file in GZIP or ZIP compressed formats. These are all on the Monash ftp site. (In case those links don't work here they are again using ftp URLs: GZIP, ZIP and Monash ftp site.)

You can also use EDICT online via my WWWJDIC server.

Is it Public Domain?

EDICT can be freely used provided satisfactory acknowledgement is made in any software product, server, etc. that uses it. There are a few other conditions relating to distributing copies of EDICT with or without modification. Copyright is vested in the EDRG (Electronic Dictionary Research Group). You can see the specific licence statement at the Group's site.

Other Dictionary Files

A number of other dictionary files have been compiled by me and others as adjuncts or spin-offs from the EDICT file. I will list the major of these below. Another summary can be found be found in the documentation of my WWWJDIC server.

• the KANJIDIC kanji information file. (overview) (download) (documentation) This file has an entry for each of the 6,355 kanji in the JIS X 0208-1990 standard. (The KANJIDIC file was cited as a reference in the New Nelson character dictionary published in 1997.)

• A second file, KANJD212, which covers the 5,801 kanji in the JIS X 0212-1990 standard has been assembled, and was released early in 1996. (documentation) (download)

• the ENAMDICT/JMnedict files of proper names. These now have over 350,000 names. Downloads: (enamdict.gz) (JMnedict.xml.gz) or see the documentation.

• the COMPDIC file of computing and (tele)communications terminology. Has over 12,000 entries. (documentation) (download)

• the EDICLSD3 (Japanese-English Life Science dictionary), which is the EDICT-format version of a major file produced at Kyoto University by a project group coordinated by Professor Shuji Kaneko..

Software for using the EDICT files

1. WWW

   There are two main WWW options:

   • my own WWWJDIC server, which has a number of mirrors in Canada, Japan, the US, etc. (Please note that the WWWJDIC program is not available for download. There is no PC version.)
   • Jeffrey Friedl's server at sites in Canada, the USA, etc.
   There are many other WWW-based methods, and a larger list can be found on my online dictionaries page.

   A very useful site is Rikai, which massages WWW pages, placing popup translations from EDICT behind the Japanese text. As well there is a Rikai-based Mozilla Plugin that achieves the same without going to the server. Needs Firefox 0.8.

2. Windows

   While I do not have a lot of direct experience (I don't use Windows much), the following appear to be the options:

   • use the JquickTrans program, also available from the Monash ftp site. Despite its name, it is a dictionary client.
   • use the old WinJDic program, also available from the Monash ftp site. It has the limitation of not being able to handle more than one dictionary file.
   • use the JWPce freeware wordprocessor, also available from the Monash ftp site. It has a good built-in dictionary function. The author, Glenn Rosenthal, has promised a stand-alone dictionary version soon. The older JWP wordprocessor, written by Stephen Chung, is also popular.
   • another WP which uses the EDICT file is NJSTAR. NJSTAR comes with an early copy of EDICT. If you want to use a more recent copy, you'll need to create special index files. I think the utilities for this are in the DOS archive of NJSTAR, but I cannot confirm this.
   • the Roboword program from Technocraft.
   • use the DOS JDIC mentioned below.

   All of the above work with just "English" versions of Windows.

3. WindowsCE/Windows Mobile
   • JWPce also has versions for handhelds.
   • A new package is Sven Groot's Pocket Dictionary. It is accompanied by soft input panel software.

4. Unix/Linux (X-Windows)
   • My own xjdic (V2.4) which is available from the Monash ftp site. It needs to run in a kterm window, and has been used successfully on virtually every type of Unix & Linux system.
   • the Gjiten package, which is very nice, and has its own flexible GUI. (Gnome)
   • the new gWaei, which aims to be a "dictionary program for the Gnome desktop with support for regular expressions."
   • the fast and light-weight Kiten (KDE).
   • for Emacs/XEmacs users there is edict.el. I don't know much about it, but I think it is included in the XEmacs rpm. On the Monash ftp site I have some information and the latest release.

5. Macintosh

   Mac users have a number of options if they have Japanese support with their OS (I think the support is standard for later versions):

   • the old MacJDic V1.3.4, available from the Monash ftp site. It is freeware, but can only handle one dictionary file. MacJDic was written by Dan Crevier, based on xjdic. (I have a sample of some MacJDic screens available.)
   • the commercial UniDict package, also developed by Dan Crevier.
   • the highly regarded JEDict package developed by Sergey Kurkin.
   • the WordLookup package.
   • the OriDict package.
   • the Tensai Japanese language dictionary and study aid package.

6. DOS

   The two main main programs for DOS are:

   • the JDIC program which provides a Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionary function.
   • the JREADER text reader, which includes an integrated dictionary look-up function.

7. Others

   There are also programs for Amiga, BeoS, Palm Pilots, etc. Most can be obtained from the Monash ftp site.

   There is a Jabber bot that does local EDICT lookups too.

None of the files in the EDICT project use romanized Japanese. I get many requests for a romaji version of EDICT, however as I do not like romaji and do not want to encourage its use, I will not be producing romaji versions. There is a romaji version dating from 1997 on the Monash ftp site. This was prepared for a blind person who was using a non-Japanese Braille interface. I (foolishly) placed it on my ftp site, and I have had a lot of problems since it was not in step with the main file. That file is now withdrawn, and I am asking all sites carrying copies to withdraw it.

Publications

If you like, you can collect some papers I have written about the project:

• AN early technical report from 1993; (postscript)
• an overview paper from 1995; (html) (postscript)
• a 1999 conference paper about WWWJDIC; (postscript) (pdf) (html).

Other useful links can be found on my Japanese Page.

Jim Breen
Monash University
November 2008