So you know how sometimes in a review it’ll show you a kanji like: 土
And then it’ll ask you for the Kunyomi and you accidentally put in the Onyomi instead?
Or visa versa?
And then it’s all like, ‘No you silly pumpkin, we wanted the other one’, and it lets you try again without marking it wrong?
You know what I mean?
Okay, so you know how sometimes in a review it’ll show you the vocabulary like: 土
And it looks identical to the kanji, so sometimes you put in the kanji reading instead of the vocab reading, and they’re not always the same thing?
And then it doesn’t say anything, just marks it wrong and moves on?
HOW DAMN HELPFUL WOULD IT BE IF IT WAS LIKE ‘NO YOU SILLY PUMPKIN, WE WANTED THE OTHER ONE’ AND IT LET YOU TRY AGAIN??!
So, that might be a nice and helpful thing I might like. What say you?
No. Kanji have several correct readings, vocab only have one (in most cases). Anything but the reading they’re asking for I incorrect and should be marked as such.
Am I the only one who thinks that just seems super strict? Putting in the Kun when it wanted the On is technically wrong too, but WK recognizes that it’s a very easy mistake to make, and that you’re at least making the right associations, and helps you out. I don’t see why this should be any different.
Not really, since they’re only asking for the reading, not specifically for kun or on. All readings are correct, but they’re looking to just one of them, which is why they let you try again if you pick the wrong one.
It seems harsh, but it really is important to get used to thinking “vocab word” when you see the kanji, especially when it is in a sentence, rather than thinking “On / Kun reading” which may not apply at all.
I don’t recommend overriding a vocabulary word unless it was a typo. There is generally only one reading for a word and anything else is absolutely wrong. You won’t be doing yourself a favor by overriding it.
The other thing is that WaniKani doesn’t always teach you the onyomi for the kanji - if it’s more useful/common, they’ll teach you the kunyomi to go with the kanji.
Like 林 for example. They teach the kunyomi はやし with the Kanji, but the onyomi reading is actually りん.
If you learn from other resources, you’d basically be penalized for not remembering which reading WaniKani wants (Though I think they give you a prompt at least, but still).
Edit: I was adding to @Kumirei and @rfindley points about the reason for the shake feature, i.e., it would be unfair if it didn’t exist for Kanji, but doesn’t make sense for Vocab
I agree for the most part. Coming from having already studied Japanese for some time, anytime I see a stand alone Kanji that can also be it’s own word I would automatically read it that way.
For example, 日(ひ) when they ask for the other reading 日(にち）I had to switch from typing ひ to typing にち、which was fine because they just shook and said the other one. However, when I moved on into the vocab that was just 日（ひ） I begin to reflexively type にち anytime I see the 日 kanji, because until that point, that’s what it wanted. Only now I was being punished for it.
Now I don’t remember all the kanji they do this with, but at some point I ended up getting used to it and figuring it out. That said, I’d still be down for the whole “Nah, bruh we want the stand other reading/stand alone reading” or whatever.
If you’re thinking that WaniKani is too “strict” or “harsh,” or that if WK says you got something wrong that you’re being “punished,” I’ll suggest your approach to this tool is a little off.
This isn’t a competition, and no one will ever see what you got right or wrong on which reviews. Vocab items don’t affect your level progression, so you can put にち or じつ for the vocab 日 how ever many times you need to before you start registering it as discrete word rather than a word-part. Getting something wrong just means you’ll get an opportunity to reinforce it again even sooner.
WK Override should only be used for genuine typos, not for “oh right, I knew that” moments.
I meant you would be punished if WK didn’t have that shake feature I realize that some of the comments after mine didn’t understand that / say the same.
Here is another way to look at it, its asking you to say car… if you say car, you get it right, if you say…vehicle, you’re wrong, and thats whats is happening when you get it wrong. Given the fact that so many vocab are contextual, you could be going wrong, bad. Is it a pita, oh you bet, and for someone like me who tends to struggle its drives me bonkers, but you know what, after I keep getting it wrong over and over it finally kicks in and boom, I remember it. Fun part of SRS, its actually better at helping you get the ones you’re getting wrong, right, than the other way… why? because it ups your repetitions until you DO understand it and get it.
Edit: to make an actual contribution to this thread, I feel you OP, but we all have to learn. It’s why I have at least one vocab from the first couple levels still hovering on Guru while the rest are Enlightened the SRS is a slow, steady friend. Don’t rush it, especially while you’re still on the free levels.
the SRS is a slow, steady friend. Don’t rush it, especially while you’re still on the free levels.