# great suggestion for the dictionary site



## frenchglen

This has probably been suggested before, but:
A "reverse translation direction" button, somewhere up the top.  Just make it a simple type of arrow icon, which will put the user's last-entered query in the _other_ direction (no matter the result). This would be SO convenient!

Please forward it on to the appropriate people. It would make things much faster. It takes too long to select the dictionary from the drop-down list every time I want to change it!


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## fenixpollo

Hello, frenchglen, and welcome to the forum.

What dictionary are you using?  When I look up "merci" in the French-English dictionary, I see the following links right next to the word (just underneath the dictionary search field): 

English definition | in Italian | in Spanish 
conjugator | in context | images

To my mind, those links serve as a "reverse-translator", allowing me to jump to the same word in English (as well as other languages).  Are you looking for something different?


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## frenchglen

Hi fenixpollo,
That's right. And then if I type "thank you", the dictionary will not find it in French-English dictionary so it will go to the English-French, find,  and give you that entry.

So let's say I do that. But then, say I type "bonjour". It needs an option for French-English lookup.


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## Fernita

You have that option, too. It will take you less than 2 seconds to do it.


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## frenchglen

Fernita said:


> You have that option, too. It will take you less than 2 seconds to do it.


2 seconds, and 3 clicks, including the delay in locating "French-English" in a large list of similar-looking options.

When all I want to think about is "what does this word mean in French?", and I want it now, I want something (at least) as fast as my brain. I want one click, and one result, immediately.

Isn't this normal? If it can be faster and easier, it is a desirable thing.


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## Philippa

Hello frenchglen,
I click on the words to reverse translate them. So for example I looked up injure earlier in English to Spanish and then I clicked the words on herir, lastimar and dañar to see whether the reverse translations would help me decide which one I wanted to use.
Isn't this the quickest way to do reverse translations? I like it lots!
Saludos
Philippa 
P.S. Welcome to the forums.


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## frenchglen

Philippa said:


> Hello frenchglen,
> I click on the words to reverse translate them. So for example I looked up injure earlier in English to Spanish and then I clicked the words on herir, lastimar and dañar to see whether the reverse translations would help me decide which one I wanted to use.
> Isn't this the quickest way to do reverse translations? I like it lots!
> Saludos
> Philippa


That only works where the English gives the same word in the French. E.g. the word ton. If in English-French, it won't give me "ton" in French to click on for French-English for that word.
There's still a need for a simple button to just reverse the translation direction for whatever query you've just entered.


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## TrentinaNE

I don't know how long Mike's current to-do list for the dictionary is.  In the mean time, I find when using the Italian-English dictionary that no matter what the language of the word I enter, the search will return the translation into the other, e.g., if I'm in Italian ==> English mode, but enter *brilliant*, it will return the Italian translation(s) for that word. If the same spelling happens to be a legitimate word in Italian (e.g., due), then it will stay in IT ==> EN mode, and I have to adjust the selection at the drop-down menu at the top. But this may save you a few clicks until (if ever) your suggested change is implemented.

Elisabetta


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## frenchglen

TrentinaNE said:


> I don't know how long Mike's current to-do list for the dictionary is.  In the mean time, I find when using the Italian-English dictionary that no matter what the language of the word I enter, the search will return the translation into the other, e.g., if I'm in Italian ==> English mode, but enter *brilliant*, it will return the Italian translation(s) for that word. If the same spelling happens to be a legitimate word in Italian (e.g., due), then it will stay in IT ==> EN mode, and I have to adjust the selection at the drop-down menu at the top. But this may save you a few clicks until (if ever) your suggested change is implemented.
> 
> Elisabetta


Haha. As impatient as I might sound,  I know these things take time to look at, decide whether you want it, prioritise what most people want, etc...so I'm patient and would be pleased for it to even be considered.
And yeah, that's right, this only helps with identical words with different meanings, but there are quite a few _faux amis_, at least French (in my knowledge).
Thanks for your consideration!


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## JamesM

frenchglen said:


> There's still a need for a simple button to just reverse the translation direction for whatever query you've just entered.


It's an interesting idea, but it seems to have some complications. For example, if I enter "ugly" and translate from English to French I get the following (edited for brevity):

ugly adj (not beautiful) _apparence physique _laid, moche 
ugly adj (personality) _personnalité _déplaisant 
ugly adj (threatening) menaçant 
ugly adj (violent) _violent _méchant 
ugly adv (in an ugly way) méchamment 

When I hit the Reverse button, which French word would be back-translated: laid, moche, déplaisant, menaçant, méchant or méchamment?


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