Korean isn’t the most popular language in the world. However, it’s no less beautiful than Japanese, Chinese, or any other Asian language. People mostly use phrasebooks and dictionaries from the airport bookstore for this kind of stuff. However, there are mobile apps that do the same thing. They also cost less and you have your smartphone on you most of the time anyway. We can help you find some excellent stuff for your next trip to (probably) South Korea. Here are the best Korean to English dictionaries and phrasebooks for Android!
- Dictionary Linguee
- Google Play Books
- Google Translate
- Learn Korean Phrases
- Any Korean learning app (link to Simply Learn Korean)
Dictionary Linguee
Price: Free
Dictionary Linguee is a powerful multilingual dictionary. It supports dozens of languages and that includes Korean. The app features cross-language translation, definitions, pronunciations, and more. You also get offline support if you need it. This is especially excellent since Korea, Japan, and China are all next to each other. This app supports all three languages. That makes it a great option for travelers looking for Korean to English dictionaries. It’s also free as far as we can tell with no ads or in-app purchases. The user interface is also fairly clean and easy.
Google Play Books (and similar apps)
Price: Free / Book prices vary
You can still buy old school phrasebooks and dictionaries in ebook format. Google Play Books (and Amazon Kindle, along with similar apps) has a bunch of them. Most of them are fairly competent and cost less than $10. They won’t get destroyed if you get them wet like old school phrasebooks. Plus, most ebook apps feature downloads for offline use and syncing between devices. That is especially helpful if you have a family account on Google. You buy the book once and your family can share it on their devices. The Suvrival Korean series by Stephen Revere is a good place to start.
Google Translate
Price: Free
Google Translate is probably our first recommendation for this kind of stuff. It translates 103 languages online (via typing) and 59 languages offline. The app also features a camera mode where you can translate anything you can point a camera app. It also comes with a two-way conversation mode, definitions, and a phrasebook built-in. There really isn’t anything wrong with this app and has all of the features that travelers and vacationers need. It’s a top notch app and it’s also free with no in-app purchases or ads. Microsoft Translate is also quite good if you want something a little bit different.
Learn Korean Phrases
Price: Free / Up to $4.99
Learn Korean Phrases is a fairly standard phrasebook for Korean. It features a bunch of useful phrases, spellings, and translations. Additionally, you get a full offline mode, a keyword search, and even customizable font sizes for you older or otherwise visually impaired folks. There are also audio pronunciations as well. This works better as a phrasebook than a dictionary. The ads are also fairly horrible. We recommend springing for the full version with no ads if you like it.
Any Korean learning app
Price: Free / Varies
Most Korean learning apps have phrasebooks and dictionaries. It’s a bit of a roundabout way of getting them, but they are there. Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, Memrise, Language Drops, and several others have all of this information. They are decidedly more expensive than a simple phrasebook or dictionary. However, they also actually teach you the language instead of just a few phrases. It may not be the best idea for the occasional trip or vacation. However, those with more than a passing interesting can try one of these solutions. We have the full best list linked up under the first paragraph.
If we missed any great Korean to English dictionaries or phrasebooks, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists!