Our Review of Reverso
Reverso is an AI-based translation and dictionary with thousands of examples sourced from real-life texts such as books or TV subtitles in 18 languages. We recommend using Reverso's Context to find sentence examples of new words you encounter or phrases you’d like to pick up.
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Ease of Use9
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Reverso is an AI-based translation and dictionary tool boasting more than 45 million monthly users. For language learners Reverso is most useful for its “Context” tool, which allows users to search for example sentences in 17 different languages.
Table of Contents
- What is Reverso?
- How much does Reverso cost?
- What languages are available on Reverso?
- Our experience with Reverso’s language tools
- Flashcards with Reverso’s Learn feature
- How to get the most out of Reverso
What is Reverso?
Reverso provides translation, synonyms, conjugations and context sentences for a number of world languages. We primarily use Reverso Context to find example sentences of new words or phrases we encounter. It’s also a useful way to find multi-word translations, colloquial expressions and slang terms that won’t normally translate accurately in a standard dictionary or translation tool like Google Translate.
For example, let’s say we want to learn how to say “charge my phone” in Spanish. Google Translate shows us the translation is “Carga mi teléfono.” This translation is correct, however it’s using the imperative (command) form of the verb, as in “hey, charge my phone please!”
If we type the same phrase into Reverso Context we’ll be able to get a better idea of how it’s used in real situations. That’s because Reverso provides us with synonyms as well as dozens of sentences that use the word or phrase we searched for.
By reading a few of these examples we can get a better understanding of how to use “charge my phone” in everyday conversations. “Tengo que cargar mi teléfono (I have to charge my phone)” might be a useful one.
As a language learner you should use Reverso Context not only to better understand new words you encounter, but also as a memory aid. Our brains like details and we’re much more likely to remember something if we learn it within the context of everyday situations.
How much does Reverso cost?
Reverso is completely free to use, though there are additional benefits for signing up for a (free) account and some features are available only to Premium users.
If you’re using Reverso Context you’ll only be able to see about 10 sentence examples per search. In order to unlock additional examples you’ll need to create a free account. No payment details are required, they just want your email address.
Reverso has Premium subscriptions available which remove ads and unlock additional features such as “Favorites,” “Translation history” and a flashcard memorization tool on the mobile app. At the time of this article’s publication, Reverso has two premium subscription options:
- Monthly: $3.49
- Yearly: $27.49
We upgraded to Premium to try out some of the more advanced features, though you can get a lot out of the platform without paying. We’d recommend signing up for a free account though in order to unlock all of the sentence examples.
What languages are available on Reverso?
At the time of writing, Reverso’s Translation tool offers 18 languages:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Dutch
- English
- French
- German
- Hebrew
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
All of these languages are also available on Reverso Context, with the exception of Korean. As for Synonyms and Conjugation the number of available languages varies, though you’ll find most of the commonly-studied languages are supported across the platform.
Our experience with Reverso’s language tools
Reverso offers a suite of handy tools you can use to improve your vocabulary and become more fluent in your target language. Undoubtedly Reverso Context is the most unique and effective, though you’ll find the platform also has a number of other helpful, well-designed features you can use in your everyday study routine.
Reverso Translation
Reverso’s Translation feature is a step up from most of your standard online translation tools. Rather than simple 1-1 translations, Reverso provides you with several translation options to match your search criteria.
For example, if we search for a Spanish translation of “phone” we are given the translation as a noun as well as an adjective. You’ll notice we’re also given the gender of the word; “nm.” in the screenshot below stands for “noun, masculine.”
Below the translation window we can also see synonyms (both in Noun and Verb form) as well as sentence examples from Reverso Context. As a language learner you’ll find Reverso is considerably more reliable than most other online dictionaries or translators.
Reverso Synonyms
One challenge we face as language learners lies in diversifying our vocabulary enough to sound more natural in the way we speak. We have so many things to learn that it can sometimes be easier to simply rely on easy, simple descriptions like “interesting!”
Reverso’s Synonyms feature is a handy tool for learners looking to broaden their vocabulary and develop a more native-like grasp of their target language. If you find yourself frequently relying on elementary words like “fun” or “interesting” you might consider using Reverso to make a list of alternatives. In place of “interesante (interesting)” in our Spanish conversations, for example, we can pick up some alternatives like “fascinante (fascinating),” “emocionante (exciting)” or “lindo (cute/nice).”
Reverso Conjugation
Reverso’s Conjugation feature is an excellent way to check conjugations when you encounter an unfamiliar verb. It shows you every tense, tidily organized into tables within an easy-to-navigate interface.
We find Reverso Conjugation especially useful for those tricky irregular verbs (every language seems to have at least a hundred). The Spanish verb “saber (to know)” tends to be particularly difficult for learners since it has so many strange forms, but we can easily view the entire verb chart from the Conjugation tab.
What separates Reverso’s Conjugation tool from other conjugation dictionaries is the ability to see each conjugation in context. Clicking on any of the conjugations (blue text) will show you examples from Reverso Context, giving you a better understanding of how to apply it in a real sentence.
Reverso Context – the best resource for language learners
Reverso Context is undoubtedly the platform’s most useful tool for language learners, featuring hundreds of thousands of example sentences you can use to gain a deeper understanding of new words you encounter.
What type of sentences does Context show you?
Reverso Context uses an AI algorithm to extract sentence examples from a variety of multilingual texts. You’ll see examples from movie/TV scripts, newspapers, websites, government documents and other sources. Since everything originally comes from real-life contexts, you’ll see a huge variety within the content.
The algorithm isn’t perfect and you’ll sometimes see examples that don’t translate directly so you’ll want to take each example with a grain of salt, but overall they’re reasonably accurate.
The only challenge we run into when searching Reverso Context is avoiding examples from legal, academic or government texts. Generally these examples contain advanced sentence structures and niche vocabulary words that we won’t be able to understand and probably won’t ever need to use. For example, we ran a search for “argument” in German and came across quite a few complex sentences sourced from academic papers and EU parliament documents:
You can generally find more colloquial examples by adding a few extra words to your search criteria. Instead of simply typing “argument,” you might try searching for something like “got into an argument,” which will pull more useful sentences:
Keep in mind that Reverso will sometimes show you slang terms and regionalisms that might not make sense in every region where your target language is spoken. You’ll also run into rude words from time to time but Reverso will give you a warning beforehand so you can choose whether or not to proceed.
Why use Context as a language learner?
Because Context is an excellent way to learn new expressions and sentence structures! Let’s say you’re learning French and have plans to FaceTime with one of your French-speaking friends. You want to message them and say, “Let me know what time works for you.” This is a rather difficult phrase to build as a learner since “let me know” and “works for [someone]” are everyday expressions that don’t translate word-for-word into French.
We can type parts of this phrase into Reverso Context and use real sentences to help us build the one we want to say. Given several different options (see screenshot below), we see that “dites-moi (tell me)” and “vous convient (suits you)” are acceptable translations for “let me know” and “works for you,” respectively.
You can use Reverso Context to learn how to build sentences in your target language.
You’ll just need to change those two from the formal “vous” into the informal “tu” form and tell your friend, “Dis-moi quelle heure te convient. (Tell me what time suits you.)”
Reverso’s Context dictionary simplifies the process of searching for correct phrasing and allows you to more efficiently learn how to construct complicated sentences.
How to use Context to become more fluent
Reverso Context is the perfect tool for learning new vocabulary and sentence structures in your target language. Whenever you run into something you don’t know how to say, simply look it up in Context and browse through the various examples.
You’ll want to make note of the things you look up so that you don’t forget. We like to keep a running list of all the new words/phrases we come across so that we can make flashcards and memorize them. We actually have an entire guide on how to build vocabulary using this method, so definitely check it out if you’re interested in learning more.
Flashcards with Reverso’s Learn feature
Reverso recently introduced a “Learn” feature available for premium subscribers using the mobile app. The Learn feature lets you study recently-searched items as well as Favorites using flashcards. If you find specific words or phrases you want to keep track of, simply tap the star button (mobile or desktop) to add them to your favorites list. You can then study your Favorites list within the Learn tab of the mobile app.
We’ve been learning Russian for the last few years and used the Learn feature to study some of the sentences we had saved to our list.
The Learn tool is an excellent idea, however we found the interface to be a bit clunky and it was difficult to customize the learning experience. For example, the app will (by default) quiz you on all of the searches you’ve recently completed, even the words you don’t necessarily want to memorize.
We had recently used Reverso Context to look up the word “магнитофон [magnitofon] (audio tape recorder)” which we ran into in an old textbook. Tape recorders are largely obsolete these days so we really don’t feel the need to spend time memorizing this term. In fact, only a handful of our Context searches contain words we actually want to memorize, meaning we constantly had to manually remove words from our study deck.
We tried to change the settings to only show our favorites from the “My Vocabulary” tab, but it kept giving us a “Not enough items in phrasebook!” warning; it appears you need to have at least 25 or 30 favorited phrases. It was also confusing that the “My Vocabulary” tab is called “phrasebook” in other parts of the app.
Additionally, when Reverso selects words from your search history it will pair them with an example sentence seemingly at random. That means sometimes your vocabulary words will be paired with inaccurate sentence examples. In one instance, we had a flashcard that translated the Russian phrase “Наше время в России подошло к концу.” incorrectly as “Our time in Mexico has come to an end.” (this Russian phrase actually means “Our time in Russia has come to an end.”).
The Learn feature is not completely without merit, it just takes a little while to learn how to navigate the complexities in the interface. We feel like the Learn feature has a lot of promise and could be really useful to learners with a few updates.
We hope Reverso continues to improve the experience but for the moment we would suggest using Anki instead. Fortunately, you can easily export your Favorites and add the terms to your vocabulary list or flashcard decks. For more info on vocab lists and Anki, check out our guide below.
How to get the most out of Reverso
Reverso is one of the best translation tools we’ve found, offering a learner-friendly Translation tool, Synonyms, Conjugation charts and more. Reverso’s Context dictionary is second to none, with hundreds of thousands of sentence examples sourced from real-life texts such as books or TV subtitles. With 17 languages and an AI-powered sentence-matching algorithm, Reverso Context is a must-have for any language learning toolkit.
We recommend using Reverso Context to find sentence examples of new words you encounter or phrases you’d like to learn. It’s especially useful for learning how to build sentences using colloquial expressions like “whatever works for you” or complicated grammatical structures like “if only X, then Y.”
We regularly use Reverso Context in our everyday routine, both to analyze difficult sentences and to expand our vocabulary. When we make flashcards with a new word or phrase, we always make sure to include an example sentence or two from Reverso. Best of all, Reverso’s handy suite of tools is completely free to use. Check out Reverso today and start leveling up your language learning game.
