Do you ever add the japanese word as the english translation? i have just learned 様 (さま) and for me is the formal name title and formal name ender not easy to remember. Manner is ok, and i try to learn that one, but the thing is that i know from previous exposure what さま means. I have previously added 仲間 (なかま) as an english translation since I have watched some anime where nakama was used as an english translation since it is to culture specific to be translated. I know what the word means in japanese, but it is like 様, I don’t remember the wanikani translation.
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Oh for sure! I did the same exact thing for 様
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Yes I’ve done this a few times, especially if the word doesn’t really translate well over to English or if I already know it
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It’s been a while but for some reason, I think sama is already a synonym. This also happens with types of Japanese foods. Plums and seaweed come to mind.
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I’ve done it quite a lot. Especially if it’s a word you’ve learned more naturally, trying to think of the English translation (especially whatever Wanikani wants you to write as the English translation) slows you down a lot I think
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Sama is a synonym in the vocab, but not the kanji. 
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I thought this was about actual JP->EN translations for a second 
I’m not that far into WK yet so this might change later, but I usually just run with whatever WK gives even if it feels like it doesn’t quite capture the essence of a word/character.
君 (kun) a a name ender is in the early levels. I used kun there as English since there is no translation for kun that I find good enough.
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For the kanji or the vocab? WK has 君 as in きみ, which aligns with the translation they’ve set for it (“you”).
I think it was an additional vocab as an end of a word
Ah, I see it. I thought about doing the same since I agree that a lot of word meanings aren’t represented well in English, but I guess it just felt like cheating to me. For that example specifically, I’d probably be okay with using “masculine suffix”. Not perfect, but close enough.
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I do this too, I’m glad I’m not alone. I just finished a set of lessons and did this for “senpai” and “kouhai”. I also did the same for “sama” and “kun”, and I’m sure I’ve done it for others that I can’t remember at the moment.
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I’ve done it with “sama” today too, and did it with “kun”, like the others (and will probably do it for any “name ender”, really).
Wish I did that for 日本語 too, because I kept typing the japanese just because I didn’t have to think about the meaning xD
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All the ones I’ve been tempted to do that, it turned out it already was an accepted synonym. (ex. daibutsu, keigo, umeboshi)
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Don’t worry about that. WK is by no means perfect. I’d get the script that allows you to set synonyms during lessons, too.
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Here’s the meaning explanation for 先輩:
My comrade who came before me is my senior, my senpai (せんぱい).
I was like really? You put senpai in the explanation and you don’t even put it in the alternative meanings lol
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The only things I’ve set synonyms to so far have been the radicals, and that’s only because I skip them all. Translations certainly aren’t always perfect, but recalling a succinct English meaning from another language’s word is a bit of a weak point for me, so I elect to avoid going “oh yeah, I already know what that word means in [original language], no need to know how to say it in English”.
I’ll add an English synonym if I think the one WK is using is really off, but otherwise, it’s not a big deal. I’m more worried about cheating myself than the system.
I have already read tofugo’s article about senpai and how it is used, but I think I need more than just a word to explain it. I believe it is not cheating if you can explain something, even if it needs a sentence or two. 
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I do that for simple items, like single digit numbers and colors. trying to get the idea into my head, that it’s あか(aka), not red, and いち(ichi) not one. also like others have said, specifically cultural things. like せんせい(sensei) for 先生
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I’ve been calling these “silent meanings” when I’ve done it for very common words. My rule right now is if I encounter it in reading outside of WK and the reading is what comes up first and I know what it means (regardless of the WK gloss), I conclude I don’t need the training wheels and can just use the reading so add it as a synonym.
As I’ve done this more, I worry that I’ll start typing readings for meanings of words I haven’t done this to, but so far that hasn’t been a problem. I haven’t decided what I’ll do when it does (I’m sure it will eventually). I have the override installed, but I’m thinking I might add the synonym but take the ‘error’ hit so I can practice the silent meaning for the word a bit more.
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