Dictionary
The dictionary is built into the site: it pops up when you click a Pali word while reading, and it opens in the "Dictionary" tab of the Quick Window. The built-in dictionary is DPD (Digital Pāḷi Dictionary). The full version with every dictionary is a separate site, dict.dhamma.gift — more on it below.
Try it on this page
The dictionary is connected right here: click a Pali word — bhagavā,
dukkha, nibbāna. The icon 
turns the
dictionary on and off; on the site Alt+A does the same.
Pick a dictionary mode and try it in the reader
Below is a real reader page with Quick Settings open. In the "Dictionary" block pick the language and the mode, then click any Pali word in the text. On the site Quick Settings open from the sliders icon in the search field or with Alt+S.
Modes in the list: the built-in DPD, Dict.DG in a popup or a new window (compact or full), DharmaMitra.org, sutta search only, and external apps (DictTango, Mdict, GoldenDict-NG). Alt+B switches the mode.
Multi-select: phrases and sentences
A click opens one word. To look up a phrase or translate a whole sentence, turn on multi-select — the selection icon in the reader toolbar or Alt+J — and select that part of the Pali text. After 3 seconds the selection opens by itself in the dictionary of the chosen mode. For translating and parsing a sentence, the DharmaMitra.org mode or a right click on the DG button in the dictionary window works best. The delay (3 or 5 seconds) can be changed in Settings, under "Multi-select".
The dictionary window
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| 🔍 | Searches the texts on Dhamma.Gift for the word |
| DG | Opens the word in the full dictionary — dict.dhamma.gift |
| DG with a right click, a middle click or a long tap on a phone | Opens DharmaMitra — grammar analysis and research on the word |
| ✕ | Closes the window (Esc) |
Drag the window by its title and resize it from the bottom right corner.
The full version: Dict.Dhamma.Gift
Dict.Dhamma.Gift isn't just one dictionary, it's a platform: DPD, the Gandhari and PTS dictionaries, Buddhadust, Wisdom Library, Sanskrit dictionaries and definitions from the Suttas and Vinaya in one place.
The word page
- On the left — favorite and recent words. The clock button in the header hides and shows this column; on a phone it opens the list.
- Next to the word — ☆ to favorites (Alt+Q), 🔊 read aloud (Alt+R), copy the word and a link to it.
- "Open on Dhamma.Gift" — searches the site's texts for the word (Alt+3 does the same).
- Double-clicking any word inside an entry also searches for it.
The ☰ menu
- Find on the page (Alt+F) — search the open entry, the same as on the site.
- Compass (Alt+P) — the Dhamma.Gift quick window: the site's favorites and history, key suttas, Memo.
- Appearance — interface language, light or dark theme, font size (Alt+− / Alt+= / Alt+0).
- Settings (Alt+Shift+S) — everything else: serif font, niggahita spelling (ṃ/ṁ), which entry sections open right away, the "one section at a time" mode, the sandhi mark (’), the read-aloud voice, project links, clearing history and resetting settings.
- Help (Alt+H) — this page.
Other dictionaries — Alt+S
The book button in the search box (or Alt+S) opens the same word in other dictionaries and resources:
- Dhamma.Gift and DharmaMitra.org — search the texts and grammar analysis.
- Pali dictionaries — PTS Dictionary, Cone (Gandhari.org), DPR Analysis, Critical Pali Dictionary (CPD).
- Sanskrit dictionaries — Monier-Williams and other dictionaries from sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de, Glosbe Pāḷi-Sanskrit, Sanskrit Dictionary, LearnSanskrit.
- Other resources — WisdomLib, Google Custom Search, Aksharamukha (script converter).
Dictionary hotkeys
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
/ | Focus the search box |
| Alt+M | Menu |
| Alt+P or Alt+Y | Compass — the Dhamma.Gift quick window |
| Alt+F | Find on the page |
| Alt+S | Look the word up in another dictionary |
| Alt+Shift+S | Settings |
| Alt+H | Help |
| Alt+Q | Add the word to favorites |
| Alt+R | Read the word aloud |
| Alt+T | Toggle theme |
| Alt+− / Alt+= / Alt+0 | Smaller / larger / normal font size |
| Alt+1 | Switch interface language (En/Ru) — or click «Pāḷi → En/Ru» next to the logo |
| Alt+2 | Dhamma.Gift table of contents |
| Alt+3 | This word in Dhamma.Gift search |
A separate site and browser extensions
Dict.Dhamma.Gift is a separate site you can open directly: dict.dhamma.gift. The DPD popup dictionary also works outside Dhamma.Gift — as a browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera) and as a Tampermonkey script (installation); the plugin can be embedded on any site (details).