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Pleco flashcards: yes or no?

The Pleco Chinese dictionary is a crucial app for Chinese learners. What about the Pleco flashcards add-on though, is it worth spending 10 bucks? How essential is the ‘dictionary-flashcards combination’ to get to the next level(s)?

The benefits of Pleco Flashcards

Pleco flashcards are a popular means to organize and train vocabulary. Especially when you’re in Taiwan or China and receiving tons of new input every day. How to keep track of all that new vocabulary? Are you going to write down the Pinyin and later add the character(s) and meaning? In such a scenario, working with Pleco flashcards might be the superior approach:

Hidden dangers of Pleco flashcards

So, are Pleco flashcards the ultimate learning solution? Well, I personally think that the pros certainly outweigh the cons. If you have a goal of learning 100 new characters every month, Pleco flashcards allow you to realize this goal in a smart and efficient manner, helping you to keep track of your progress. There are some hidden dangers though which become more apparent the more frequent you use this feature:

This video shows how you can change the standard dictionary settings to be able to turn example sentences into flashcards.

Pleco flashcards for whom?

All of these “hidden dangers” don’t have to be a real problem as long as you’re aware of them. The ultimate article about pros and cons of flashcard learning by Sinosplice notes that whether you like flashcards or not really depends on what kind of learner you are:

Over the years of working with lots of different learners of Chinese through AllSet Learning, I have noticed a very clear trend: analytical, programmer-types loooove spaced repetition software (SRS). It’s the efficiency of it, having the “checklist” where nothing gets omitted. These types of learners can find SRS a Godsend which changes their studies completely, and they often evangelize for SRS quite a bit.

However, learners much more interested in talking in Chinese, or reading in Chinese, may find the preoccupation with flashcards a bit off-putting and unnecessary. If you really are speaking Chinese all day, or reading for hours and hours every week, you may not need SRS flashcards as much.

Sinosplice: SRS Flashcards: Pros and Cons

Pleco flashcards: yes or no?

Are Pleco flashcards as essential to learning Chinese as fuel to a flying airplane?

This – as usual – depends on your learning situation and goals. If you’re intensively studying Chinese, whether in China or at home, you might want to consider Pleco flashcards as probably one of the fastest and most efficient ways to organize, keep track of and ultimately memorize new vocabulary. In the heat of the moment, Pleco flashcards definitely beat a notebook or any other app I know of.

Pleco flashcards also come in handy preparing for HSK and other Chinese language tests. You simply use the pre-made HSK vocabulary lists or add your own words to a new category like ‘intermediate Chinese speaking test’.

On the other hand, if you’re not that technical kind of learner, or get fed up with the same daily routines quickly, you’re probably not going to find salvation using them.

But in any case, flashcard learning should never become a burden that takes more than 10 to 15 minutes.

My opinion

As far as I am concerned: I’m somewhere in between. A daily flashcard routine (even 10 minutes) makes a difference, yet my motivation for flashcard learning seems to be coming in waves. I appreciate how Pleco combines dictionary and flashcards, but I have a hard time keeping the long-term motivation needed for daily reviews. Not to mention the need to organize all that vocabulary. Just reading an article might result in twenty interesting new words, but where to keep them all without going insane?

I personally prefer the flashcard app Daily Chinese that has ready-made and more manageable vocabulary lists (plus the better UX). Unlike Pleco flashcards, Daily Chinese is not connected to a dictionary and doesn’t allow creating your own flashcard sets. I like the simplicity of that. The app used to be free, but adopted a paid subscription model in 2023.

To wrap it up: Pleco flashcards aren’t the one-size-fits-all vocabulary learning solution, but it most certainly is a powerful tool and but a small investment compared to apps like Skritter or joining Chinese courses. Even if you’re not completely sure whether it matches your learning style, it doesn’t cost much more than a pizza margarita.

What’s your opinion about Pleco flashcards? Are they a godsend or can you do without them? Feel free to leave a comment down below!

Further reading

Many long-term Pleco users have shared their favorite configurations and other tips:

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