In general, the invention is directed to techniques for finding and constructing phrases for translation. In an exemplary embodiment, a hand-held device that acts as an electronic phrase book implements the techniques of the invention. The device presents the user with a menu of object words and receives the user's selected object word. The device presents a menu of phrases that include the object word in context, and receives the selected phrase. The device may further present the user with a menu of modifiers that further refine the meaning of the phrase, and receive a selected modifier. In this way, the user quickly constructs a phrase of interest. The device translates the phrase, and presents the user with the translation.
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