Japanese Language Apps

Dellaster · 04-26-2010, 03:03 AM

Four learning and/or reference Android apps that work full screen on the eDGe.

Screenshots taken of the Android SDK emulator, v1.6 and scaled in the highest standard resolution to approximate the eDGe's 1024x600 (it came out 50-75 pixels less in each dimension). I have them running on my eDGe so I can confirm that this is how they look.

Aedict
Open source. Download the APK here.

Based on Jim Breen's WWWJDIC, this is a very handy Japanese-English dictionary app that accepts all types of input: romaji (roman alphabetic representation of the kana syllabary), English, Japanese (paste in the text), and handwriting-recognition kanji.

You can see that I input "neko" in the first screenshot. It could have instead been "cat" in the English input, either ねこ, ネコ, or　猫 in the Japanese input (that's hiragana, katakana, or kanji). For any of these the result would be the second screenshot.

The handwritten kanji recognition pad is very strict on stroke count and direction but forgiving with stroke order. The last stroke input is white and, as you can see in the third screenshot, I drew the last two strokes in the wrong order. Nevertheless screen four came up with the "correct" kanji as its first guess. I could then click on that result and get screen two.

This app is incredibly useful to have handy on the LCD screen while (attempting to) read a Japanese text or instructional material on the e-ink screen.

Ankidroid
Open source. Download the APK here.

This is the Android version of the popular Anki flash card system. On your PC (multiple OS's) you can build your own custom decks, or download one of the hundreds of decks made by other users. There are about a dozen versions for Remembering the Kanji alone (I'm in the process of deciding which one to use). Unfortunately you can't search and download from Android. The decks need to be side-loaded.

Shown is the default Capitals of the World deck with the whiteboard activated. Draw the answer as I did with "Paris" to keep yourself honest (and for practice if the answer is a kanji character, for example).

The following two apps are currently only available through the Android Market, which only phones can access. Getting them off the Market and into the eDGe takes knowledge of the SDK. I include these for people who have that kind of skill and also in case they become more easily available (like, if enTourage gets their app store going).

Kanji Tutor
$1.99 on the Android Market. Home page here.

This is a kanji drill app that covers the nearly 2000 most common Chinese characters in use in Japan. (The "jōyō" and "kyōiku" kanji.) The kanji are randomly selected from the "grade" selected in options, from 1-7.

Depending on drill choice, it will display a kanji and you have to click on the correct English meaning, on or kun reading, or it'll display the English meaning and you need to click on the correct kanji. Upon error the correct answer is shown briefly at the bottom in red. It also has a Lookup option to browse through kanji, see their readings and English meanings, or be directed by a link to the online Wiktionary for it.

This is good for building speed in recognition of what you already know. Not so much for learning. Simple but very nicely done. I don't regret spending the two bucks.

JLPT Kanji (demo)
Free on the Android Market for the demo (JLPT 4 only), non-free version covers all of JLPT 1-4. Homepage here.

Android app for practicing kanji in preparation for the official Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). It is pretty much what you see on this one screen: a compact and nicely-made flash card system. Written kanji input is recognized and it'll change to red if you get it wrong, green if correct. The self-rating of 1-5 stars will determine how soon/often the kanji will repeat.

I'm not studying for the JLPT at this time so I probably won't use this much.

And that's it for now. I hope these mini-reviews are of aid to someone.

Dellaster · 04-26-2010, 03:08 AM

The attachments must have expired or something as I wrote. (No longer needed; inserted pics directly in the first post instead.)

borisb · 04-26-2010, 08:56 AM

I could have used these (and an eDGe) 25 years ago when I took a couple of Japanese courses in university...

maynard · 04-26-2010, 11:31 AM

Are you writing Kanji using the LCD screen with a stylus?

Dellaster · 04-26-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maynard

Are you writing Kanji using the LCD screen with a stylus?

Yes. Even if finger writing was accurate enough for recognition (which it often isn't), I prefer to use a pen. Also, I purchased the Wacom Penabled Clip Pen for a better grip and a more natural feel.

Gunnerp245 · 04-27-2010, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dellaster

... purchased the Wacom Penabled Clip Pen for a better grip and a more natural feel.

Unable to tell from the webpage, is it nearer to a real pen in circumference and length?

Gunner...

Dellaster · 04-27-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunnerp245

Unable to tell from the webpage, is it nearer to a real pen in circumference and length?

Yep, it's about the same as an average retractable ballpoint pen.

maynard · 04-27-2010, 04:47 PM

Do you get better accuracy with it? I find that I have to use the large brush size to write readable characters, and I can't really fit a quality complex character, like ten strokes or whatever, within the margin lines in notes.

Dellaster · 04-27-2010, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maynard

Do you get better accuracy with it? I find that I have to use the large brush size to write readable characters, and I can't really fit a quality complex character, like ten strokes or whatever, within the margin lines in notes.

I take it you mean on the e-ink side, like in the Journal? (None of the Android apps I checked offer brush sizes.)

I'm definitely better with it compared to the skinny little thing that comes standard. Can't speak for anyone else. It's still woefully short of the kind of accuracy you get with ballpoint pen on paper.

My Journal doodles, exported as PDF, etc. (I'm getting a little embarrassed of posting pics of my sloppy writing.

)

Medium brush seems to be my personal sweet spot, at least with an 11-stroke kanji like this. The small brush improved tremendously after I "cheated" the calibration to match how I wanted it to write, but it's still sloppy. Maybe with more practice. Large brush - I salute you if you can keep 10+ stroke characters within those lines.

borisb · 04-27-2010, 05:45 PM

I've experienced significant improvements in accuracy and neatness when I switch to a larger Wacom pen.

maynard · 04-27-2010, 06:42 PM

No way can I keep many stroke characters in the lines with the large brush. I have trouble with it using the medium brush (though I'm getting better with medium). The small brush is just unusable. I can't reliably connect strokes. That said, I'm using the stylus that shipped with the device. Perhaps I ought to buy a better stylus.

BTW: Is that the character in Japanese for "cat"? It's cat in Chinese, pronounced "mao1".

Dellaster · 04-27-2010, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maynard

BTW: Is that the character in Japanese for "cat"? It's cat in Chinese, pronounced "mao1".

Indeed it is. A large percentage of kanji still have the same main meaning as the Chinese character, since Japan adopted and adapted Chinese characters starting in the fourth or fifth century A.D. Pronunciation is "neko" in Japanese, however.

miklos.klaar · 05-07-2010, 11:08 PM

For me, the most useful of these apps is aedict. I would still like to have an EPWING reader so I can search the 広辞苑 and other native dictionaries.

Unfortunately none of the Japanese IMEs in the marketplace work on the device so its usefulness is limited as far as I'm concerned.

t-town · 08-09-2010, 02:42 PM

Yes, I call it google Translate.

cutecolt · 07-14-2011, 12:57 AM

Hi,

I have been using aedict for the past 6 months. It is awesome. It has kanji flashcards for new JLPT levels. I have found a way on using aedict in desktops also and have narrated the steps in my blog http://shinobukaneko.blogspot.com/20...n-desktop.html . Those who don't have an android phone can still use aedict. Hope this helps all who want to excel in Japanese.

Kanpai,
Kuppusamy.V.,

04-26-2010, 03:03 AM	#1
Dellaster 本の虫 Posts: 242 Karma: 344 Join Date: May 2008 Location: USA Device: Kindle3, DXG, Fire · iPad, iPod	Japanese Language Apps Four learning and/or reference Android apps that work full screen on the eDGe. Screenshots taken of the Android SDK emulator, v1.6 and scaled in the highest standard resolution to approximate the eDGe's 1024x600 (it came out 50-75 pixels less in each dimension). I have them running on my eDGe so I can confirm that this is how they look. Aedict Open source. Download the APK here. Based on Jim Breen's WWWJDIC, this is a very handy Japanese-English dictionary app that accepts all types of input: romaji (roman alphabetic representation of the kana syllabary), English, Japanese (paste in the text), and handwriting-recognition kanji. You can see that I input "neko" in the first screenshot. It could have instead been "cat" in the English input, either ねこ, ネコ, or　猫 in the Japanese input (that's hiragana, katakana, or kanji). For any of these the result would be the second screenshot. The handwritten kanji recognition pad is very strict on stroke count and direction but forgiving with stroke order. The last stroke input is white and, as you can see in the third screenshot, I drew the last two strokes in the wrong order. Nevertheless screen four came up with the "correct" kanji as its first guess. I could then click on that result and get screen two. This app is incredibly useful to have handy on the LCD screen while (attempting to) read a Japanese text or instructional material on the e-ink screen. Ankidroid Open source. Download the APK here. This is the Android version of the popular Anki flash card system. On your PC (multiple OS's) you can build your own custom decks, or download one of the hundreds of decks made by other users. There are about a dozen versions for Remembering the Kanji alone (I'm in the process of deciding which one to use). Unfortunately you can't search and download from Android. The decks need to be side-loaded. Shown is the default Capitals of the World deck with the whiteboard activated. Draw the answer as I did with "Paris" to keep yourself honest (and for practice if the answer is a kanji character, for example). The following two apps are currently only available through the Android Market, which only phones can access. Getting them off the Market and into the eDGe takes knowledge of the SDK. I include these for people who have that kind of skill and also in case they become more easily available (like, if enTourage gets their app store going). Kanji Tutor $1.99 on the Android Market. Home page here. This is a kanji drill app that covers the nearly 2000 most common Chinese characters in use in Japan. (The "jōyō" and "kyōiku" kanji.) The kanji are randomly selected from the "grade" selected in options, from 1-7. Depending on drill choice, it will display a kanji and you have to click on the correct English meaning, on or kun reading, or it'll display the English meaning and you need to click on the correct kanji. Upon error the correct answer is shown briefly at the bottom in red. It also has a Lookup option to browse through kanji, see their readings and English meanings, or be directed by a link to the online Wiktionary for it. This is good for building speed in recognition of what you already know. Not so much for learning. Simple but very nicely done. I don't regret spending the two bucks. JLPT Kanji (demo) Free on the Android Market for the demo (JLPT 4 only), non-free version covers all of JLPT 1-4. Homepage here. Android app for practicing kanji in preparation for the official Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). It is pretty much what you see on this one screen: a compact and nicely-made flash card system. Written kanji input is recognized and it'll change to red if you get it wrong, green if correct. The self-rating of 1-5 stars will determine how soon/often the kanji will repeat. I'm not studying for the JLPT at this time so I probably won't use this much. And that's it for now. I hope these mini-reviews are of aid to someone. Last edited by Dellaster; 04-26-2010 at 03:25 AM. Reason: Attachments didn't work; inserted pics directly

04-26-2010, 03:08 AM	#2
Dellaster 本の虫 Posts: 242 Karma: 344 Join Date: May 2008 Location: USA Device: Kindle3, DXG, Fire · iPad, iPod	The attachments must have expired or something as I wrote. (No longer needed; inserted pics directly in the first post instead.) Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Dellaster; 04-26-2010 at 03:23 AM.

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04-26-2010, 08:56 AM	#3
borisb Addict Posts: 212 Karma: 2156 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: enTourage eDGe, Pocket eDGe, Kobo Vox, Kobo Touch, Asus Eee Note	I could have used these (and an eDGe) 25 years ago when I took a couple of Japanese courses in university...

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maynard Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: iPhone, PRS-505, iLiad, Entourage Edge	Are you writing Kanji using the LCD screen with a stylus?

04-27-2010, 04:47 PM	#8
maynard Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: iPhone, PRS-505, iLiad, Entourage Edge	Do you get better accuracy with it? I find that I have to use the large brush size to write readable characters, and I can't really fit a quality complex character, like ten strokes or whatever, within the margin lines in notes.

04-27-2010, 05:45 PM	#10
borisb Addict Posts: 212 Karma: 2156 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: enTourage eDGe, Pocket eDGe, Kobo Vox, Kobo Touch, Asus Eee Note	I've experienced significant improvements in accuracy and neatness when I switch to a larger Wacom pen.

04-27-2010, 06:42 PM	#11
maynard Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: iPhone, PRS-505, iLiad, Entourage Edge	No way can I keep many stroke characters in the lines with the large brush. I have trouble with it using the medium brush (though I'm getting better with medium). The small brush is just unusable. I can't reliably connect strokes. That said, I'm using the stylus that shipped with the device. Perhaps I ought to buy a better stylus. BTW: Is that the character in Japanese for "cat"? It's cat in Chinese, pronounced "mao1".

05-07-2010, 11:08 PM	#13
miklos.klaar Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 50 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: iRex Iliad, Entourage eDGe, Sharp Netwalker PC-T1	For me, the most useful of these apps is aedict. I would still like to have an EPWING reader so I can search the 広辞苑 and other native dictionaries. Unfortunately none of the Japanese IMEs in the marketplace work on the device so its usefulness is limited as far as I'm concerned.

08-09-2010, 02:42 PM	#14
t-town Connoisseur Posts: 69 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Kindle	Yes, I call it google Translate.

07-14-2011, 12:57 AM	#15
cutecolt Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	Hi, I have been using aedict for the past 6 months. It is awesome. It has kanji flashcards for new JLPT levels. I have found a way on using aedict in desktops also and have narrated the steps in my blog http://shinobukaneko.blogspot.com/20...n-desktop.html . Those who don't have an android phone can still use aedict. Hope this helps all who want to excel in Japanese. Kanpai, Kuppusamy.V.,