Hi there! I just subscribed to ReadLang and am enjoying it for the most part. However, one thing that has happened quite often now is:
I’ll come across a word that has multiple meanings
I’ll go into the dictionary to add the new alternate meaning
I click “done” on the definition page
when I click on the word again to translate it, the alternative meaning is removed and only the original is there again.
A simple example is “Naar” in Dutch. It apparently means “unpleasant”, but the much more common form I’ve seen means “to” as in “he goes to the store”. Not sure if I’m just not doing this right or if there’s something else going on.
Also, I’m not sure how the dutch dictionary source determines which meaning to return first, but there’s definitely a few words that have completely different meanings as the top definition than the ones I’ve learned. It would be nice to maybe show the top 2 or 3 when going into the definition panel? Adding context typically fixes this, so it’s not the worst thing, but it can definitely be a bit confusing.
Edit: The definition text give the “to” definition despite the first line saying it means “unpleasant”! So the word and its definition aren’t matching
I’m not sure how it works, but I think your custom definitions are not saved because you don’t save any flashcards. When reading a text, go to the Aa window (where you edit your workspace), scroll down to On Deselect Word/Phrase and toggle the Keep Flashcard option on. Tell me if it solves your problem.
Sorry about this. I’ve just done some testing and for me the added definitions do seem to be retained.
Could you clarify which page you mean exactly. A screenshot might help.
One thing that should help is enabling context-aware translations (premium only feature) which will make it far more likely that you get the correct translation given the context sentence around the word you are clicking on.
I’m not the OP, but it seems like custom definitions are saved in flashcards. If you delete your flashcards on deselection, your custom definitions are going to disappear with them, which could be confusing for newcomers. To replicate:
Select the Delete Flashcard option.
Select a random word.
Either add a definition that AI suggests or add your own by clicking on Edit Word and saving.
Deselect the word.
Tap it again.
You will see that your custom definitions are gone. Only the initial definition is going to be there.
True, that could explain it for sure! I’d forgotten that I’d made this the default behavior for new users, making it likely that this is the reason. Definitely worth checking that setting. Read more about it here: Delete Flashcards While Reading - Readlang Blog
I have a similar problem, in my case I have the autohighlight feature enabled and I can’t seem to add multiple meanings to a specific word without deleting and re-adding the word.
For example, in this screenshot how am I supposed to add another meaning to the word “dar”? It can mean “gift” or “but”. In this specific scenario it means but.
I see, so we have to click edit word, then manually add a new translation?
Is there a way to update a word with a similar mechanic that we have to create the word in the first place. I.e. a way to append a new context aware translation.
Also, I don’t really see a way too show the current translation based on the surrounding context in my scenario (enabled autohighlighting feature), apart from deleting and reclicking on the word.
Here, I came across the word zerknitterte in a German text. Upon clicking it, Readlang immediately turned it into a flashcard with the initial translation being crumpled. But the AI in the Explain tab suggests another translation: wrinkled. To denote that I can add it as a translation, Readlang stylizes it by putting it in a box and adding a plus sign to the left of it.
If you already once saved a translation for a word (in your case, it seems like you already came across the word dar being translated as gift) you will always see it being translated like this from that point on (if you save flashcards), even if it doesn’t fit the context (in the screenshot you provided dar means but in the new context, but since gift was already saved once Readlang only displays gift). So there are two ways to deal with this:
Keep the Keep Flashcard option on and add new translations as they come (to see the translation that’s relevant in the current context you need to see what the AI tells you in the Explain tab in this case). So for you, you would add but as another translation. Next time you come across the word dar you will see both gift and but as possible translations and you’ll have to infer from context which one fits better yourself OR check the aforementioned tab.
Keep the Delete Flashcard option on and get dynamic and context-aware definitions every time you click on a word. If you want this to take effect with the words you have already translated once, you will need to delete the flashcards you have accumulated too. But be aware that you won’t be able to practice flashcards (naturally) and save custom definitions.
Personally, I think that the first way of doing things is better, though admittedly it seems to be catered more to premium users who can check context-aware definitions in the Explain tab.
