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Managing Dictionaries

Turn dictionaries on and off, change their order, add new ones and delete the ones you do not need.

Open the Dictionary Manager

Do one of these:

  • In the Dictionary tab, tap Manage Dictionaries (books icon) at the top right.
  • Go to You › Settings › Manage Dictionaries.

Each row shows the dictionary's name, the date you imported it and, if it has one, its version.

Dictionary Manager with several imported dictionaries

Turn a dictionary on or off

Use the switch on the dictionary's row. A dictionary that is off stays on your device, but lookups and searches skip it.

Change the order

Drag a dictionary up or down by the handle on the left of its row.

The order decides whose definitions come first when you look up a word. Put the dictionary you trust most at the top.

Add a dictionary

Download one

  1. Tap More dictionaries (the books icon with a plus) at the top. The More Dictionaries screen lists the dictionaries Mekuru can download for you, with their sizes.
  2. Tap Download next to the one you want.

For the full list, see More dictionaries.

Import a Yomitan dictionary

Yomitan is a browser extension for reading Japanese, and many free dictionaries come in its format. To import one, tap + (Import Dictionary) and choose the .zip or .json file. For the full steps, see Import a Yomitan dictionary.

To find dictionaries, tap Help (?) in the Dictionary Manager. It links to yomitan.wiki/dictionaries.

Delete a dictionary

  1. Tap the trash icon (Delete) on the dictionary's row.
  2. Tap Delete to confirm.

This deletes the dictionary and all its entries. You cannot undo it. To get the dictionary back, download or import it again.

After you restore a backup

After a restore, the Dictionary Manager can show Backup dictionary settings ready. Install the dictionaries you had before, then tap Apply Backup Settings. Mekuru brings back their order and on/off state. Dictionaries you have not installed are skipped.

If something goes wrong

  • The screen says "No dictionaries imported". Tap Browse Downloads to get dictionaries, or tap + to import one.
  • A word has no results. Check that at least one dictionary is turned on.
  • You see most definitions twice. You may have both JMdict and Jitendex. Jitendex is built on JMdict, so turn one of them off or delete it.