辞書
じしょ
jisho
= dictionary
For learners of Japanese, jisho (辞書) is almost a sacred word — the dictionary is the tool that makes every other word findable, and understanding what this word means, and how Japanese people talk about dictionaries, opens a window into Japanese literacy culture.
Jisho (辞書) means ‘dictionary.’ It refers to any reference book or digital tool that lists words with their definitions, readings, and usage examples. The most common everyday synonym is jiten (辞典), which is used more in formal titles (e.g., kokugo jiten, Japanese-language dictionary). In practice, jisho and jiten are interchangeable in speech, but jisho is more colloquial and the word a student would naturally reach for. Specific types include ei-wa jisho (英和辞書, English-to-Japanese dictionary), wa-ei jisho (和英辞書, Japanese-to-English dictionary), kokugo jisho (国語辞書, monolingual Japanese dictionary), and kanji jisho (漢字辞書, kanji dictionary). The digital era has brought denshi jisho (電子辞書, electronic dictionary) — a dedicated handheld device that dominated Japanese classrooms before smartphones took over.
Learners sometimes confuse jisho and jiten — both mean dictionary. In practical terms, jisho is what you’d say to a classmate (‘let me check my jisho’), while jiten tends to appear in printed titles and formal references. Another useful distinction: the verb ‘to look up in a dictionary’ is jisho o hiku (辞書を引く) — the verb is hiku (to pull), not miru (to look). This ‘pulling’ metaphor comes from the physical act of flipping through pages to extract a word. Saying jisho de shiraberu (辞書で調べる, to investigate with a dictionary) also works and is perhaps more intuitive for learners.
辞書 combines 辞 (ji) and 書 (sho). 辞 means ‘word,’ ‘speech,’ or ‘to resign’ — its core sense is language expressed or released. The character contains 舌 (tongue) at its center, connecting it to speaking and verbal expression. 書 means ‘to write’ or ‘a written work/book,’ from a pictograph of a hand holding a brush over a surface. Together, 辞書 is literally ‘a book of words.’ The same 書 appears in 教科書 (kyōkasho, textbook), 図書館 (toshokan, library), and 読書 (dokusho, reading books) — making it a high-value character to recognize early.
Everyday use
この漢字の読み方が分からないから辞書を引いてみる。
Kono kanji no yomikata ga wakaranai kara jisho o hiite miru.
I don’t know how to read this kanji, so I’ll look it up in the dictionary.
Formal / Cultural context
試験中に辞書を使ってはいけません。
Shiken-chū ni jisho o tsukatte wa ikemasen.
You must not use a dictionary during the exam. (instruction in a classroom or test booklet)
Casual / Social Media
おすすめの日本語辞書アプリある？
Osusume no nihongo jisho apuri aru?
Do you have a Japanese dictionary app you’d recommend? (message in a learner community or group chat)
Japan has a deep culture of monolingual dictionary use that sets it apart from many other language-learning traditions. The kokugo jisho (国語辞書, Japanese-language dictionary) is used not just by foreign learners but by native speakers throughout their schooling — Japanese students regularly look up words in their own language to understand subtle meanings and proper usage. The Kōjien (広辞苑), published by Iwanami Shoten, has been the most prestigious monolingual Japanese dictionary since 1955 and is updated only once every decade or so, with each new edition generating news coverage.
The rise of the denshi jisho (電子辞書, electronic dictionary) in the 1990s and 2000s transformed how Japanese students studied. These pocket-sized devices, made by companies like Casio and Sharp, could hold dozens of dictionaries — kanji, English-Japanese, medical, legal — and were standard equipment in high school and university classrooms. Though largely replaced by smartphone apps like Jisho.org and imiwa? among younger learners, many Japanese students still keep a physical denshi jisho for exams where phones are prohibited.