Definition:
Jisho (辞書, Japanese for “dictionary”) is a free online Japanese-English dictionary available at jisho.org. It is built on the JMdict and KANJIDIC databases and provides comprehensive word definitions, kanji information, example sentences sourced from the Tatoeba corpus, JLPT level indicators, and multiple search methods — including radical filtering and handwriting input. It is widely considered the best free dictionary resource for English-speaking Japanese learners.
Core Search Features
Word search:
Enter a word in Japanese (hiragana, katakana, or kanji), English, or romaji and receive:
- All meanings with part-of-speech labels
- Common/uncommon designation
- JLPT level (N5 through N1)
- Pitch accent (where available)
- Example sentences from the Tatoeba project
- Related words and alternative forms
Kanji search:
Search for kanji by character, reading, meaning, stroke count, or component radicals. Each kanji entry shows:
- On’yomi and kun’yomi readings
- Stroke count and stroke order diagram
- Meanings
- JLPT/Joyo designation
- Compound vocabulary words using that kanji
Radical filter (`#radical`):
Use `#radical rad1 rad2` syntax to filter kanji by their component radicals — essential when trying to identify a kanji seen in the wild but whose reading is unknown.
Tag filtering:
Jisho supports search tags like `#common`, `#jlpt-n3`, `#verb`, `#noun`, `#particle` to filter results to a specific category.
Example Sentences
Jisho displays example sentences from the Tatoeba project, a multilingual sentence corpus. Each example includes:
- Japanese sentence (with kanji and furigana)
- English translation
- Attribution to the contributor
Example sentences show words in authentic grammatical context, which is valuable for understanding how a word actually functions beyond its bare definition.
The JMdict Foundation
Jisho draws from the JMdict database, a community-maintained Japanese-English dictionary project that is the foundation for most English-language Japanese dictionary apps and tools — including Yomitan, GoldenDict, and others. This means Jisho and browser extension dictionaries typically share the same core definitions, though Jisho’s interface makes browsing and discovery significantly easier.
Limitations
- Definitions can be vague for nuanced vocabulary — JMdict’s English glosses sometimes don’t capture the pragmatic or contextual nuance of a word
- No audio pronunciation — unlike some dictionaries, Jisho’s kanji/word pages don’t embed audio; learners need to use Forvo or Takoboto for pronunciation audio
- Pitch accent coverage is incomplete — not all entries have pitch accent data
- Mobile experience — functional but not as smooth as dedicated mobile dictionary apps like Takoboto or Akebi
History
Jisho.org was created by Kim Ahlström (Sweden) and launched around 2010 as a free, modern web interface to the open-source JMdict Japanese-English dictionary database maintained by the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group (EDRDG). The underlying JMdict project was begun by Jim Breen at Monash University in the early 1990s, making it one of the longest-running collaborative open-source dictionary resources for Japanese. Jisho brought a clean, search-engine-style interface to what had previously been accessible primarily through EDICT text files and less user-friendly interfaces. The site added kanji search functionality drawing on the KANJIDIC project, progressive search features (using \#tags for filtering by JLPT level, common words, etc.), and example sentences from the Tatoeba collaborative sentence database. Jisho remains maintained as a free public resource funded by advertising and user donations.
Common Misconceptions
“Jisho is a Japanese-made official dictionary.” Jisho is an independent Swedish-built web interface to community-maintained open-source Japanese dictionary data. It is not affiliated with Japanese government, publishers, or official Japanese language authorities. The underlying JMdict/EDICT data is crowd-maintained and may occasionally contain errors, missing entries for rare vocabulary, or outdated glosses — advanced learners and translators cross-check Jisho against authoritative monolingual Japanese dictionaries (Kojien, Daijirin) for critical lookups.
“Seeing a word on Jisho means you’ve learned it.” Dictionary lookup is a receptive encounter with a word — it provides the form-meaning connection in the moment but does not create durable memory. Without subsequent spaced repetition review, looked-up words are typically forgotten within days. Jisho is an excellent discovery tool; the retention work requires a systematic review system.
Criticisms
Jisho has been noted for occasionally containing outdated, imprecise, or overly literal glosses inherited from the JMdict database’s community-maintained entry corpus — entries written by different volunteers over decades vary in quality. The example sentence corpus (Tatoeba) is also community-contributed and includes some unnatural or incorrect example sentences. Mobile usability is limited compared to dedicated apps (Takoboto, Akebi on Android; Japanese! on iOS) that provide native mobile interfaces with offline capability. Jisho does not test speaking, production, or contextual reading — it functions solely as a reference lookup tool.
Social Media Sentiment
Jisho is one of the most universally used and recommended tools in the Japanese learning community — it appears in every “essential tools” list and is typically recommended to beginners as the primary free dictionary resource. Community discussions about Jisho focus on its advanced search features (JLPT filter, \#common tag, stroke order, kanji breakdown) that many beginners don’t discover on their own. The JMdict data quality questions occasionally arise in advanced learner discussions, leading to recommendations for monolingual dictionary supplementation at advanced levels.
Last updated: 2026-04
Practical Application
Jisho is the default lookup tool for most Japanese learners when reading or studying, and something effectively every serious learner has open in a tab. It is best used as a reference and discovery tool: looking up a specific word seen while reading, exploring kanji components, or searching for example sentences to understand usage in context. For vocabulary retention — moving words from looked-up to actually-known — pairing Jisho lookups with a review system is essential. Adding frequently looked-up words to Sakubo for spaced repetition review is a natural next step after any Jisho session; Sakubo‘s structured review means words don’t have to be looked up repeatedly before they stick.
Related Terms
See Also
Research
Breen, J. (2004). JMdict: A Japanese-multilingual dictionary. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Multilingual Linguistic Resources (pp. 71-79). COLING.
The foundational paper describing the JMdict project — the open-source Japanese-English/multilingual dictionary database that powers Jisho.org — documenting its structure, coverage, and community maintenance model.
Karp, A., & Loeser, C. (2011). Evaluating online dictionary tools for language learners. CALICO Journal, 28(3), 651-673.
A research evaluation of online dictionary tools for language learners, examining usability, accuracy, and learning support features — providing context for understanding how tools like Jisho fit within the broader landscape of digital reference resources for L2 learners.
Peters, E., & Webb, S. (2018). Incidental vocabulary acquisition through viewing L2 television and factors that affect learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(3), 551-577.
Research on incidental vocabulary acquisition relevant for understanding how dictionary lookup (as in Jisho) functions in vocabulary learning — examining the relationship between encounter frequency, context quality, and lexical retention.