- PriceFree
- CategoryReference
- Versions2 archived
- Installable2 of 2
- AvailabilityStill on the App Store
- SellerPierre-Phi di Costanzo
- Bundle IDnet.pierrephi.kotoba
RequirementsCompatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
Something off?
Report an issueThis application is a multilingual Japanese dictionary that does not require an internet connection.
Imiwa? was created using the amazing JMdict files from the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group based on the work of Jim Breen on the EDICT project.
While some definitions are available in 4 languages (English, French, Russian and German), only the English translation is guaranteed for all entries in the JMDict dictionary. Initiate a search in any of those 4 languages, in Japanese or in romaji and imiwa? will do the rest.
imiwa? Also includes a rich database of kanji (KanjiDic), examples (from tatoeba.org) and conjugations as well as tools suitable for beginners.
You may use the Traditional Chinese character recognition keyboard included in the iOS system for drawing kanji on screen or the new built in keyboard.
If your device supports Apple Intelligence, imiwa? will leverage it to fill the gaps for your language. Always verify content generated by AI.
imiwa? is and will always remain free and fully functional. This version introduces optional in-app purchases to let you express your support — no features are ever locked behind a paywall.
Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Chart History
Ratings Over Time
sampled from 8 archived captures| Date | Version | Rating | Ratings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 28, 2010 | 2.2 | — | 4,944 | Free |
| July 19, 2011 | 2.6.1 | — | 6,629 | Free |
| April 5, 2012 | — | — | 6,881 | Free |
| May 2, 2013 | — | — | 7,067 | Free |
From archived App Store listing data, captured by the Wayback Machine.
Archived Reviews
8 of 25Used before google translate and I’ll continue to use forever! Absolutely the best Japanese dictionary in all my years of study.
I’ve been using this app for 10 years now and it has always been an invaluable asset. The interface is clean and intuitive, I’ve never encountered any bugs, and it has every feature I’ve ever needed.
All I need is Google translate and this! Google and similar translation apps are good for roughly translating whole text, but Imiwa? breaks down the vocabulary so you can make sure that you’re getting it right. It also breaks down the kanji to help you understand it more deeply, recognize patterns to help you remember it and understand similar characters, and get the stroke order right (which is a lot more important than you might think for writing).
Update: I’ve continued to use the new version. It is quite good, and the new capabilities are helpful. I appreciate that it is completely free and that the developer is responsive to bug reports. I will continue to use this as my primary Japanese dictionary app, as I have for many years. Original: I have been using this app for 5 years as my go-to Japanese dictionary, and creating vocabulary lists of words I’m studying. Today, I open it and EVERYTHING has changed, without warning. I can’t find anything. I wasn’t sure it was even the same app. I thought my vocabulary lists were gone until thankfully I found them under the “learning” tab. I’m not against progress or change and I think over time, it will probably be an improvement. But to roll out a complete revamp without any sort of tutorial or explanation on an app that so many have depended on for language learning for so long is very disruptive. I think it would have been fine if there was an explanation that your old data is still in the app and instructions on where to find it.
A lot of the problems this app used to have are no longer relevant as of July 2026. A huge new update was released with its own Anki-style memorization tab for JLPT kanji AND vocab. The stroke order animations for kanji are also updated, and various forms of the kanji (sōsho, Simplified Chinese) are shown on the kanji entries now too. After this update, I cannot recommend this app enough for serious learners of Japanese.
I’ve loved this app for YEARS. it’s an incredible resource. but the recent update and use of AI gives me pause.
Conjugation table gone? I don’t understand why you would get rid of such a simple and effective resource????? All the “examples” don’t help. It’s clutter and visually unappealing. “AI” doesn’t make up for it. I’ll go to a real ai resource if I want that.
It looks like trash, it’s harder to navigate, so much of it was clearly written with an LLM. Why did you change it?
Period reviews recovered from Apple's customer-review feeds via the Wayback Machine.