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How do I use Anki for Japanese?

The short answer

Make cards from whole sentences you met in something you watched or read, not single words from a list. Japanese sentence on the front (with audio if you can), meaning on the back. Add 5 to 10 new cards a day, review every day, and keep each card short. Anki then shows hard cards again soon and easy ones days later.

Why sentences beat word lists

A word alone is easy to forget. A sentence from a scene you liked comes with a voice, a feeling and grammar around it.

“And as you're learning from YouTube and Netflix, you know, just take the sentences that you learn and put them into Anki, get them into Anki, so you can get spaced repetition with that.”Languy · from a recorded lesson

A simple card

Front: the Japanese line (kana or kanji with readings) and the audio clip.
Back: the meaning, plus one note on any new word.
One new idea per card. If a line has three new words, it is too long for now.

Avoid the burnout

Keep new cards low (5-10 a day). Reviews grow with every card you add.
Review daily, even 5 minutes. Missing days makes the pile scary.
Delete cards you hate. The deck should feel like your favourite lines.

Price

Anki is free on desktop and Android; the official iPhone app is paid once. Current prices are in the directory.

“Then it shows you that card again very soon. Even in a few seconds. Was it easy? Maybe it shows you that the next day or even the next week.”Languy · from a recorded lesson

Questions people also ask

Should I use a premade Anki deck?

A premade deck is fine for kana or the first few hundred words. After that, your own sentences from things you love stick much better.

How many Anki cards a day for Japanese?

5 to 10 new cards a day is a sustainable start for most people. Increase only if your daily reviews stay comfortable.

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