StarDict is a free, open-source dictionary program created by Hu Zheng. It is still maintained by its own developers on SourceForge and GitHub, and its latest stable release, 3.0.7.1, came out on 2 October 2023. Star Dictionary is an independent words and language reference that has no connection to the StarDict project and cannot help with installing or troubleshooting it. If you want offline dictionaries today, the StarDict file format is still widely supported by programs such as GoldenDict-ng, KOReader and sdcv. The project’s own pages are the official source for the program.
About the StarDict program
StarDict is a desktop dictionary program, sometimes called a dictionary shell. It does not contain word lists of its own. Instead, it opens separate dictionary files and lets you look up words in all of them at once. According to Wikipedia, it is released under the GPL-3.0-or-later license and is the successor of StarDic, an earlier program by Ma Su’an, whose version numbering it kept.
Who develops StarDict
Hu Zheng (胡正) leads the project. Hosting has moved several times:
- The project started on SourceForge.
- It was later removed from SourceForge after copyright infringement reports. The dictionary files hosted there were removed too, and some of those files were unlicensed copies of commercial dictionaries.
- Development then moved to Google Code, with the address stardict.org as its website. That arrangement is now history: Google Code has shut down, and stardict.org now belongs to this unrelated reference site.
- Today the project has a site on SourceForge again, and its source code is on GitHub in the stardict-3 repository.
Which version is current
According to Wikipedia, the latest stable release is 3.0.7.1, dated 2 October 2023. The project’s changelog also describes a 4.0.0 build that ports the program to the GTK 4 toolkit, with code that is “almost the same as StarDict-3.0.7”. The project’s own SourceForge and GitHub pages are the place to check for anything newer.
A dated controversy
At the end of 2006, Hu Zheng began charging users to download dictionary files from his website, citing personal financial problems. Wikipedia records this as a controversy at the time. It is part of the project’s history, not how the program works today.
How StarDict dictionary files work
A StarDict dictionary is a folder of small files that belong together. The format specification, published on the project’s SourceForge site, describes each file’s role.
| File | Required? | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| .ifo | Yes | Plain-text information: dictionary name, word count, format version (2.4.2 or 3.0.0) |
| .idx or.idx.gz | Yes | The sorted word list, with the position and size of each entry |
| .dict or.dict.dz | Yes | The definitions themselves;.dict.dz is compressed with dictzip |
| .syn | No | Synonyms and alternate forms that point to main entries |
The specification recommends that dictionary makers use the uncompressed.idx with the compressed.dict.dz. Strings are stored as UTF-8 text, so one file can hold any script, from Latin to Chinese to Arabic. The.ifo file is the one programs look for first. It is the file you point a converter or reader at.
Using StarDict-format dictionaries today
You do not need the StarDict program itself to use dictionaries in its format. Several actively maintained programs read StarDict files, often alongside other formats.
| Program | Type | Formats it reads |
|---|---|---|
| GoldenDict-ng | Desktop dictionary program | StarDict, MDict (.mdx/.mdd), ABBYY Lingvo DSL, XDXF, Zim, Slob, DictD, Epwing |
| KOReader | E-reader app | StarDict (.ifo,.idx,.dict or.dict.dz) |
| sdcv | Command-line tool | StarDict |
| PyGlossary | Converter | Reads and writes StarDict, plus Babylon BGL, Tabfile, XDXF, Zim and many others |
GoldenDict-ng’s own documentation suggests PyGlossary for converting between formats. sdcv, described in its manual as the console version of StarDict, finds dictionaries through the STARDICT_DATA_DIR environment variable.
Choosing dictionaries responsibly
The format is neutral, but the files are not. Many StarDict dictionaries passed around online in the 2000s were copies of commercial dictionaries made without permission. Choose dictionaries whose license is stated clearly, such as projects built from freely licensed data. For an authoritative definition of a single word, established publishers such as Merriam-Webster, Oxford and Cambridge publish their own dictionaries online.
FAQ
Is stardict.org the official StarDict website?
No. Until about 2013 the address carried the StarDict project’s website, but it now belongs to Star Dictionary, an unrelated words and language reference. The program’s developers publish official information on the project’s SourceForge site and its GitHub repository.
Is StarDict still being developed?
Yes, slowly. Wikipedia lists 3.0.7.1, released on 2 October 2023, as the latest stable version. The project changelog also describes a GTK 4 port numbered 4.0.0.
What is the difference between.dict and.dict.dz?
Both hold the definitions. A.dict.dz file is compressed with dictzip, which keeps the file smaller but still lets a program jump straight to one entry. The StarDict specification recommends.dict.dz for published dictionaries.
Which programs can open StarDict dictionaries?
GoldenDict-ng on the desktop, KOReader on e-readers and sdcv on the command line all read the StarDict format. PyGlossary can convert StarDict files to and from many other dictionary formats.
Why were StarDict dictionaries removed from SourceForge?
The project’s former SourceForge page said the removal followed copyright infringement reports. Some of the dictionary files that circulated with StarDict were unlicensed copies of commercial dictionaries. Some users later questioned the explanation, but the safe choice is still to use only dictionaries with a clear license.
Can Star Dictionary help with StarDict installation problems?
No. This site explains word meanings, word origins, idioms and translations, and it has no part in developing StarDict. For questions about the program, use the issue tracker and documentation on the project’s own GitHub and SourceForge pages.
Sources
- StarDict, Wikipedia
- StarDict project home page, stardict-4.sourceforge.net
- StarDict File Format specification, stardict-4.sourceforge.net
- StarDict project notice on its removal from SourceForge, stardict-4.sourceforge.net
- StarDict changelog (stardict-4.0.0 source mirror), gitcode.com
- GoldenDict-ng dictionary formats documentation, xiaoyifang.github.io
- sdcv manual page, Arch Linux
- KOReader dictionary support wiki
- PyGlossary project page, PyPI
About this article
- Fact-checked before publication.
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