Advanced Spanish Grammar and Dictionaries
Despite the abundance of free websites and resources for beginners and intermediate-level students, when it comes to finding reliable tools for advanced learners we have a more limited choice of options.
Here, I'll briefly run over a few of the best resources for advanced learners:
Grammar
The Nueva gramática de la lengua española (NGLE) is the most comprehensive grammar of the Spanish language. It comprises nearly 4000 pages in 3 volumes, offering a complete overview of the Spanish language throughout the Spanish-speaking world. You can access the entire contents using the online version -open window. The search function will accept slight variations in the conjugation of the verb, but other than that you need to search the exact phrase if you want to get a search result. All of the grammar annotations on www.espanolavanzado.com have the link to the relevant page in the digital NGLE.
The Gramática descriptiva de la lengua española is the other main grammar used by linguists and teachers. All three volumes can currently be accessed (and downloaded) from Google Books preview. Be warned: it's made up of dozens of dense academic papers, so if you're after quick answers you should probably look elsewhere.
For doubts concerning the grammar and use of specific words, the Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas (DPD) is a good place to start. This dictionary has entries for many of the most problematic words and punctuation rules. It can be accessed here. Bear in mind that the recommendations they give are not always in line with popular usage in Spain - especially use of the object pronouns.
For advanced students, Hispanoteca.eu is a goldmine of information. The author and linguist Justo Fernández López has written hundreds of grammar and word usage articles, all of which have references and extracts from reliable sources. An index of the grammar topics can be found here - open in new window. Unfortunately it is not the easiest website to navigate through, and the layout is not very user-friendly, as well as the fact that the website is mainly aimed at German-speaking learners.
Wikilengua. This wiki-type platform has an ever-growing number of Spanish grammar articles. The website has improved a lot over the last few years and is a good starting-point for students wanting to get to the bottom of some of the most common doubts and errors. They do a good job explaining the recommendations of the RAE and contrasting them with popular usage as well as highlighting curiosities. It is overseen by Fundéu and the news agency EFE.
One of the best free blogs for Spanish grammar on the web is the Blog de Lengua by Alberto Bustos, a language professor at the University of Extremadura. The articles are clear, concise and well researched. This is definitely worth checking out for specific grammar and punctuation queries.
Dictionaries
The Wordreference and Collins dictionaries are probably the best free bilingual resources on the net. Having said that, Wordreference looks set to charge heavy users (more than 1000 searches a month). Collins' translations are generally aimed at those looking to learn Spanish from Spain, whilst the Wordreference's own is largely Latin American Spanish. Despite the fact that the search function works better for the Collins dictionary on the Collins website, rather than the Wordreference website, I, personally, find the experience to be faster on the Wordreference website, where you can switch between the various dictionaries with a simple click. Furthermore, the Wordreference forum is without doubt the king of forums: with enough time and perseverance, you will find the answers to most Spanish-related doubts.
The Oxford Dictionary is another decent bilingual and monolingual option which is worth using to contrast translations and definitions. Bear in mind that the translations are generally based on Spanish from Latin America rather than Spanish in Spain. Compared to Collins/Wordreference it has less examples and it is less user-friendly.
A handy dictionary that I came across recently is the Larousse online monolingual and bilingual dictionary, which can be found at www.dictionarios.com. This dictionary, as well as having thorough definitions, is handy due to the one-click word search in both languages within the definition -this feature speeds up the process considerably. I would recommend this website as a backup for when the results from Collins/Wordreference aren't satisfactory.
http://www.spanishdict.com has improved its dictionary over the years, but once again the translations are often not the best for those looking to learn Spanish in Spain. I have found the forum to be far inferior to Wordreference, with many posts containing inaccurate or misleading information.
If you are looking for more detailed definitions, two fantastic free monolingual dictionaries can be found at http://www.esacademic.com/. This website gets much of its content from the Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española and the Enciclopedia Universal, both of which have exhaustive definitions and word usage annotations that go beyond anything you will find in the bilingual dictionaries -they are a must for any serious advanced learner.
Translations in context
For translations in context, Linguee is probably the most well-known website on the net. Although it is decent for more formal language, you have be careful with many of the translations, which are often dubious at best. It's a great tool for getting ideas, which you can later check in one of the dictionaries listed above.
If you are looking for more colloquial expressions and informal language, Reverso.com is your best bet. As well as an extremely flexible search function, it retrieves its translations from film subtitles and other sources. The dictionary itself isn't the most user-friendly, but the translations in context pretty accurate most of the time. Once again, the definitions should be checked in a reliable dictionary.
An absolute goldmine for phrases and expressions, Termbank.com is must for any serious language learner/translator. It boasts a word bank of over 2 million terms with "hand picked" translations by Spanish-speaking native professional translators. If you're short of ideas or looking for alternative translations, this website is one to have saved in your bookmarks.
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These are the main tools that we use here at españolavanzado.com to create our own word annotations and translations for our articles and videos. Our advanced Spanish grammar annotations are easily accessible through our pop-ups, which can be found within every article and video.
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-Advanced Spanish Grammar and Bilingual Dictionaries-
