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By default, the backside of the card has the first "sense" from JMDict on it. This sense is supposed to represent the primary meaning of the word. You can also

By default, the backside of the card has the first "sense" from JMDict on it. This sense is supposed to represent the primary meaning of the word. You can also add/replace that with the other senses by editing the flashcard, or you can add your own notes to the back. I've found using the first sense works pretty well. Having the whole definition on the back is way too much for your brain to process, but the first sense is usually only a few words that encapsulate the meaning of the word pretty well.

Micaiah_Chang 11y ago
I've been studying the language for a while, and recently made the switch to Japanese-Japanese dictionaries, after using EDICT for a long time. This has highlighted some reservations I have about it. The most available example (not the best) is 適当, where it can be interchangeably be used to mean "adequate" and "half-assed", sort of sarcastically. The definition being a mostly undifferentiated bag of words, without necessarily regard for nuance or typical use cases. Contrast this with the goo dictionary, which has a slightly better structure (http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/151064/m0u/%E9%81%A9%E5%BD%93/ http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/151064/m0u/%E9%81%A9%E5...) and the 類語 dictionary, that gives synonyms and situations where you would use one over another (http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/thsrs/2512/m0u/ http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/thsrs/2512/m0u/). I understand that there's probably no way to deal with this in a scaleable way that would be as easy to turn it into flash cards but it's kinda sad to see the gap between the two solutions. Apologies for not having a more constructive suggestion.
- glandium 11y ago
  I've been relying on japanese-japanese dictionaries for a while, and they work best IMHO once you're past a certain level. Also, most good non-jp-jp resources are in english, and, after all, english is not my native language either, so I might as well deal with everything in japanese. I just wish I could find an app that does everything in japanese, but I never found one. Tried a few, but there are so many that it's hard to find something decent. The result is that I haven't actually actively studied japanese for a while, and rely on "passive" learning from talking, reading and watching TV (I live in Japan, that helps). I'm actually sufficiently annoyed that I'm not retaining as much as I would like that I'm considering writing a web app to handle my own learning. Edit: by the way, I once stumbled upon an online dictionary that also showed the "standard" intonation for words (something that I've very rarely seen mentioned), but I can't find it again :(
- chrisvasselli 11y ago
  Yeah, it's definitely a weakness in Nihongo. I'd love to have a really well-integrated Japanese-Japanese dictionary, but I've never been able to find a J-J open-source database like JMDict/EDict. My solution for now is that you can tap on the menu button in the top-right of any entry, and open it in the built-in iPhone dictionary, which includes a J-J dictionary. But that's not a very satisfying answer.

Micaiah_Chang 11y ago

I've been studying the language for a while, and recently made the switch to Japanese-Japanese dictionaries, after using EDICT for a long time. This has highlighted some reservations I have about it. The most available example (not the best) is 適当, where it can be interchangeably be used to mean "adequate" and "half-assed", sort of sarcastically. The definition being a mostly undifferentiated bag of words, without necessarily regard for nuance or typical use cases. Contrast this with the goo dictionary, which has a slightly better structure (http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/151064/m0u/%E9%81%A9%E5%BD%93/ http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/151064/m0u/%E9%81%A9%E5...) and the 類語 dictionary, that gives synonyms and situations where you would use one over another (http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/thsrs/2512/m0u/ http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/thsrs/2512/m0u/). I understand that there's probably no way to deal with this in a scaleable way that would be as easy to turn it into flash cards but it's kinda sad to see the gap between the two solutions. Apologies for not having a more constructive suggestion.

glandium 11y ago
I've been relying on japanese-japanese dictionaries for a while, and they work best IMHO once you're past a certain level. Also, most good non-jp-jp resources are in english, and, after all, english is not my native language either, so I might as well deal with everything in japanese. I just wish I could find an app that does everything in japanese, but I never found one. Tried a few, but there are so many that it's hard to find something decent. The result is that I haven't actually actively studied japanese for a while, and rely on "passive" learning from talking, reading and watching TV (I live in Japan, that helps). I'm actually sufficiently annoyed that I'm not retaining as much as I would like that I'm considering writing a web app to handle my own learning. Edit: by the way, I once stumbled upon an online dictionary that also showed the "standard" intonation for words (something that I've very rarely seen mentioned), but I can't find it again :(
chrisvasselli 11y ago
Yeah, it's definitely a weakness in Nihongo. I'd love to have a really well-integrated Japanese-Japanese dictionary, but I've never been able to find a J-J open-source database like JMDict/EDict. My solution for now is that you can tap on the menu button in the top-right of any entry, and open it in the built-in iPhone dictionary, which includes a J-J dictionary. But that's not a very satisfying answer.