If I stop and open a dictionary, I lose the sentence and the rhythm. If I ignore the word, I sometimes miss too much meaning. Either way, reading turns into work instead of something enjoyable.
I ended up building a small iOS app for myself called LinguaRead. It opens EPUB books and lets you tap on a word to see what it means in the context of the sentence you’re reading. The goal isn’t perfect translation — it’s reducing friction enough to keep reading without constantly switching apps.
It’s a simple tool and still early, but it helped me read longer and finish more books in another language than I could before.
I’m curious how others here approach this problem: Do you translate selectively or only when you’re stuck? Do you mostly rely on context? Do you reread books you already know in another language?
Happy to hear what’s worked (or not worked) for you, and open to feedback.