Seiko ET2240 Spanish English Translator

This Spanish-English dictionary features 600,000 bidirectional translations and it instantly finds and translates conjugated verb forms. Seiko's EZ-Learn teaching system helps you build your vocabulary and language skills. Other handy features include a 12-digit calculator with memory and percent function, 28 bidirectional metric and currency converters, and an international clothing-size comparison chart.

Entries are easy to read on the large LCD display, and you can enter information using the full keypad and function keys. This dictionary weighs only 9.3 ounces and comes with a one-year warranty.

Product Description
Seiko ET2240 Spanish-English Translator is a compact handheld electronic Spanish-English translator that not only translates words, but phrases and verb forms to and from Spanish. Also features currency and metric converters and a 10-digit calculator with memory and percent functions. Includes 13-character display with up to 600,000 translations.

The Franklin TES-118 English/Spanish Translator is great. It has Advanced verb conjugation. The more expensive Franklin unit like DBE-1450 Spanish/English are better but the TES-118 is all most people will need.

I don't like the multi-language like the Franklin TWE-118 5 Language European Translator, because the verb conjugations are not included and the dictionaries are a bit small. But this unit is still much better others in its class.


Very useful tool, with some limitations.   May 15, 2001
Scott Herman (Baxter, Tennessee)
50 out of 50 found this review helpful

This little translator (actually a dictionary with verb conjugation, has been a major tool in my learning toolbox. First, the little machine is very well built. Mine has survived abusive treatment on the workplace and in my car, and keeps going. It's been left in a hot car, dropped on pavement, and generally thrown around and it continues to work as before. The little keyboard is surprisingly easy to thumb-enter. The display is large and clear. The verb-conjugation allows you to scroll through conjugations of a verb or search by English or Spanish translation, including compound verbs. It has a 40 word list that allows you to practice. It gives you the word in the language you choose, and requires you to enter the word in the other language.

Now for the limitations. First, there is no contextual information. For example, if an English word has two Spanish meanings, the translator does not give you any information to determine which word you need. In addition, the spelling trainer does not allow you to enter accent marks or tildes, which limits it's utilization for memorization. The machine does not handle reflexive verb forms at all. In addition, the conjugator offers the verb form for "you (formal), he, she, and it" as separate entries even though they have the same conjugated form. The machine also does not allow any form of drills with conjugated verb forms.

The device does have a couple of quirks. It omits some common words, even "cat." Sometimes the -s- key functions as the -y- key in yes or no function questions. I have owned two of these (the first was destroyed by a dog after being dropped in the yard) and this problem existed on both.

In comparison to Franklin's equivilent product, I would say that the Franklin translator has far superior information but that the device is more poorly built. The Franklin translator has a rather flimsey cover. The button's are soft in operation, and you can't tell by feel if the device has accepted the keypress. The display is somewhat hard to read, but it does display far more information including examples, contextual information, and various forms of a word.

I highly recommend the Seiko translator so long as the user is aware of it's limitations. You will still have to use your dictionary to decide which option is correct for your purpose. But I love the Seiko for its small size, ease of use, and toughness. I can carry it with me on my job, and use my free time to carry out drills.


Quick, Simple, and Effective   February 19, 2001
Amanda (Valparaiso IN USA)
29 out of 31 found this review helpful

I really like this product because in addition to being an advantage over a big, bulky, written dictionary, it's easy to use and has effective results. It not only can tell you the translation of words from spanish to english or from english to spanish but can also conjugate verbs. It gives quizzes about verb conjugation and vocabulary; it also offers quizzes for commonly used SAT words. I must stress how easy it is to use. I can't even use my sewing machine but i figured out how to work this in not even an hour!