---
title: "Offline dictionary Chrome extension · NoaLingua"
description: "Dictionary, grammar tables and example sentences download once and are then read from disk, so every lookup works afterwards with no network at all."
url: "https://noalingua.com/answers/offline-dictionary-chrome-extension/"
language: "en"
modified: "2026-09-08"
license: "CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
---
Answer

# NoaLingua reads its dictionary from your disk

Download once, then look up with no network at all

Dictionary, grammar tables, definitions and example sentences download once and are then read from disk. After that, looking up a word needs no network at all. Expect fifteen to thirty minutes before everything is instant and offline.

Short answer Yes — after a one-time download that is large and worth knowing about before you start.

That is a genuine cost and it is stated before you install rather than discovered on the first evening. The packs start downloading by themselves as soon as the extension knows which two languages you picked.

### Four languages have no dictionary at all

Serbian, Croatian, Vietnamese and Thai have no dictionary pack, because no Wiktionary extract exists for them. Subtitles, saving and review all work in those languages; the meaning of a word does not appear.

The coverage matrix says this cell by cell, and marks separately the cells we have not verified ourselves — which is not the same as a no.

Get NoaLingua — free, and every feature included

Dual subtitles on YouTube and Netflix, clickable words on any page and in any PDF, shadowing and spaced review — 28 languages, no account, and your deck stays on your own machine.

[Add to Chrome — Free Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ocimolffhgpeeoifjpjhgikgfbnmlkdh) Opens the Chrome Web Store listing **NoaLingua — beyond dual subs: video, web, PDF** — free, no account, Chrome 138 or newer.

- **Free** — every feature, not a trial
- **No account** — nothing to sign up for
- **Two dropdowns** — that is the whole setup

## More questions people ask NoaLingua

Does translation work offline too?

When Chrome has an on-device model for your language pair, yes. Where it does not, translation needs the network even though the dictionary does not.

What happens if the local database is damaged?

There is a repair action for the "internal error opening database" case. It rebuilds the database and keeps your settings, but the cards and downloaded packs are gone — so export your profile first if you can.

Can I use it before the download finishes?

Yes. Dual subtitles work straight away. The part that waits is the word card, because that is what depends on the packs.

## Where this is documented on NoaLingua

[What downloads, and how large Every pack, its size, and what happens if you interrupt it.](https://noalingua.com/docs/downloads-and-packs/)[Which languages have a dictionary The four that do not, and what still works in them.](https://noalingua.com/supported-languages/)[What offline actually covers Dictionary and grammar from disk; translation where Chrome has a model.](https://noalingua.com/features/offline-and-privacy/)

### Related NoaLingua answers

- [Which extension uses Chrome’s built-in translator API?](https://noalingua.com/answers/chrome-built-in-translator/)
- [Can I translate subtitles without sending them to a server?](https://noalingua.com/answers/translate-without-a-server/)
- [How do I see the IPA for a word on a web page?](https://noalingua.com/answers/ipa-pronunciation-any-page/)

## Try it on the next thing you were going to watch anyway.

Free, with every feature. No account, nothing to cancel, and your deck stays on your machine.

[Add to Chrome — Free Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ocimolffhgpeeoifjpjhgikgfbnmlkdh) Opens the Chrome Web Store listing **NoaLingua — beyond dual subs: video, web, PDF** — free, no account, Chrome 138 or newer.

- [Free, and not a trial Every feature on the free plan — both PDF modes, shadowing, all 30 practice formats.](https://noalingua.com/pricing/)
- [No account, no email Nothing to sign up for and nothing to cancel. There is no login screen at all.](https://noalingua.com/privacy/)
- [Two dropdowns to set up Pick what you are learning and what you want translations in. That is the whole setup.](https://noalingua.com/getting-started/)
- [Your words stay yours Export to Anki, CSV, a spreadsheet or a full JSON profile — free on every plan.](https://noalingua.com/docs/export-import/)

[What happens after you install](https://noalingua.com/getting-started/) · [Pricing](https://noalingua.com/pricing/) · [What it cannot do](https://noalingua.com/limits/)