How to get Kindle 4 to recognize other languages?
 

I want to start reading more in French and I heard that the Kindle 4 will let you load multiple dictionaries and have it auto-recognize which one to use depending on the book's language. For instance right now, I cam manually go into settings and change the main dictionary to French and read in French easily, but if I then want to read in English, I have to go back in and change the dictionary back. Apparently, you can have it set up so this works automatically and you don't have to fiddle.

So assuming I have both dictionaries on the Kindle, how do I get it to recognize that a given book is French? I have some from random places, but I even have one from Amazon and it still is not recognizing it---when I go into the setting to set a default dictionary, it only lists English as an option. I am using Calibre and have used its language feature on the other books, and then this one book is actually from Amazon.

What I want to do is have one dictionary for English and one dictionary for French and have it recognize which books are which. Can I use Calibre to effect this? Is there some other setting I have to tweak? Any help is appreciated.

The files (dictionary and ebook) have to have their language code set correctly for the auto-recognize to work.

You can change the language ID for a book (or a dictionary) in Calibre.

Susan: I know they have to be set correctly. I am asking how to do that.

HarryT: Calibre has a language field, the French books all say 'French' in the language field. So when I put them onto the Kindle, it is not getting recognized. How do I fix it?

But what's the language code for your dictionary? That has to have a language code of French, too.

Most of the threads here are about building a dictionary that is then passed to MobiPocket Creator (say) to produce a MOBI version. However, see How to correctly change language metadata of a dictionary? So there needs to be both in and out languages. Also, French is "fr".

The French dictionary I have is from Amazon, so it should be set up fine. All I want to do is set the language for the *books* so that the Kindle recognizes it has French books loaded on it. Then when I go into settings it will give me the option to choose a dictionary for that language. I am at a total loss. Please, can anyone give me simple instructions?

Don't bet on it. If it's a French dictionary from a UK or US publisher, its language is almost certainly set to "English".

Ficbot, Did you try opening the French book and placing the cursor in front of a word? When I got my K4, to my surprise the French dictionary from Amazon simply started working automatically. If the book is in English, the English dictionary comes up.

I just checked my settings, and on page 2, I see that I haven't set a Device Language. The option shown is Set. Maybe not setting a language allows the appropriate dictionary to appear. If you have set the device language, try "unsetting" it.

Thanks Perran, that worked! It seems the issue for dictionaries is having it recognize it has a *dictionary* installed, not so much that it has a *book* installed. When I downloaded the proper French dictionary that the Kindle gave me in its last update, I was able to use that just fine by, as you say, just placing the cursor there. I still can't get my Merriam-Webster French-English translation dictionary (purchased from Amazon) working with the French books, but my French is good enough now that the other one will probably suffice.

When I did some more fiddling, it seems that this dictionary is listed as a choice under the English language options, and even though I tried downloading to Calibre and setting the language there to French, then sideloading that, it isn't recognizing it.

Unsetting problem ?
 

Hi every body
This is my first post here :o
My kindle language is English - US
I can't find the option of "unsetting" or "unselecting"
as I see there is no options to choose other than to select one of the 7 languages there

Ficbot Hi, here is a way to try and set your standalone French dictionary as a lookup.
Doitsu a formum member supplied this info to me, all credit to him.
The Kindle software versions for PCs and smartphones only support the default 7 monolingual dictionaries. (English US/UK, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese)
The only way to bypass this limitation is to change the ASIN number of the dictionary that you want to use instead.
(The ASIN number for the default French dictionary is *B005F12G6U*.)
If you want to use your French-English dictionary with K4PC, create a copy of your dictionary, add or change the ASIN to *B005F12G6U* and replace the default French dictionary in the My Kindle Content folder with your patched version.
IMHO, the easiest way to change this ASIN is to use the Mobiperl command line tools (https://dev.mobileread.com/dist/tompe/mobiperl/) with the Mobi2Mobi GUI (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21763). (The ASIN is eth type #113.)
I tried this for Kinldle for PC and it works so if you remove the standard French dictionary from your kindle, then use the tools Doitsu suggests (on a PC to alter your French to English dictionary's ASIN number to *B005F12G6U* then load it onto kindle it should directly lookup your one. Let me know if it works
Regards
Andrew

Hi all,

Did someone manage to install translation dictionaries on the Kindle4?
According to amazon customer service, this is no more possible as it was on the kindle3!!! :-(
Being French I would be interested by German-French and English-French.

Is there any simplier solutions than the one suggested by Alibaba32? It looks too complicate for me!! ^^

Thanks,

Simon

There are free dictionaries that can be loaded directly onto a Kindle 4 for various language pairs at:
http://blog.mikeasoft.com/2011/01/05...or-the-kindle/