I recently surpassed level 10 and now I’m trying to focus on grammar and collecting vocabulary. I picked up a copy of Genki for grammar, but I’m not sure what flashcard system is best to use for storing and practicing vocab. I’d really like to use an SRS system like Anki, but I’ve found it to be cumbersome - even with the Japanese language add-in. I wanted to be able to type in my answers in hiragana (like WaniKani), so I created a new card type that accepts a typed input and then I just use the Japanese language keyboard in windows to put my answer in.
Adding new vocab is a pain though, because I either need to switch back and forth from my English and Japanese keyboards, or I have to type the word into something like Lexilogos and copy it over to Anki.
Does anyone know if there is some kind of add-in for Anki that converts your text to hiragana as you type (like WaniKani does)? Otherwise, is there a SRS flashcard alternative out there that would suit me better?
There’s a 10k Anki deck by hinekidori that basically replicates the WaniKani interface, maybe you could download that one and un-bury vocab when you encounter it? I don’t know if the download link still works, but it’s in this thread:
I checked out Bunpro and Kitsun and although they don’t exactly solve the problem of offering typed answers with built in IME support, they both seem like great resources! I appreciate the help!
Looking at Bunpro a little more carefully, you’re totally right. I guess I only saw the grammar and premade vocab features before, but now I see the feature that lets you create your own cards (and it has a built-in IME).
I’m still unsure about Kitsun, and maybe it has to do with me only trying the free trial, but I can’t figure out how to make cards with written-input answers in Japanese. Either way, that’s no problem because I’ll likely go with Bunpro now.
You shouldn’t be passing on tools like Anki, jpdb, etc, because they don’t have native typed-input reviews. You should use it as motivation to move away from WK’s typed review system.
I understand that I’m kicking a hornet’s nest by saying this and I’m not actually answering your question, but I strongly suggest to start using WaniKani with the Anki mode userscript or turning on Anki mode in your review app. Both modes of review aren’t equivalent in comprehension; there is a real, noticeable difference in typing your answers and thinking of them or speaking them out loud. I’d argue that the latter is actually more difficult, which is a temporary obstruction you need to overcome, but in the long run it’s just so advantageous for your learning for so many reasons.
Hopefully if you get used to it on WK, you can use it more often elsewhere.
Kitsun is my go-to. Plus you can convert Anki decks to work with it.
By the way, are you using hotkeys to switch between keyboards? You can just do alt+shift to cycle through languages and caps lock to toggle between romaji and kana input. If you have a Japanese keyboard there will also be a button to cycle through the kana types; maybe this is configurable on English keyboards too, dunno.
