How do you turn phrases you want to say into flashcards in Tomaru?

Tomaru provides a tool that lets you ask how to express specific thoughts or sentences in your target language. Beyond generating a direct translation, Tomaru breaks down the sentence into its core structural knowledge points and converts the entry into an active FSRS-6 flashcard so you retain the underlying patterns.

Why start learning from what you want to say?

Most vocabulary acquisition is input-driven: a textbook, pre-built list, or study algorithm determines which words you meet, leaving you to hope those terms match your future communication needs.

The vocabulary you need most urgently reveals itself in the opposite direction: when you try to express an original thought and realize you lack the words or structure to say it. That moment of friction identifies a specific language gap far more accurately than any frequency list. Because the intent came first, the required vocabulary is immediately anchored to a meaningful personal context.

Standard translation apps waste this moment. You look up a phrase, use it once, and forget it by the following week. Tomaru turns that moment into long-term retention by transferring the translation directly into your spaced repetition queue.

How does Tomaru break down requested sentences?

When you ask how to say a phrase, receiving a raw translated string solves only an immediate communication need. Memorizing a single translated sentence limits you to using that exact phrase in isolation.

Tomaru analyzes requested sentences and presents a full structural breakdown alongside the result:

• Translation: Provides accurate phrasing in your target language.
• Pronunciation: Displays clear phonetic and reading guides.
• Knowledge points: Identifies underlying grammar patterns, particle uses, and key vocabulary structures embedded within the sentence.

Deconstructing a sentence into its structural components reveals the underlying grammar rules. Understanding the core pattern inside one expression equips you to construct dozens of new sentences using the same framework.

How do requested phrases enter your review schedule?

When you look up an expression, Tomaru automatically builds a flashcard that retains the original phrase, translation, pronunciation, and structural knowledge points.

This card enters your standard FSRS-6 schedule alongside your active study plans. Instead of disappearing after a single lookup, the expression and its underlying grammar rules recur in your daily review queue until they transition into long-term memory.

Are there limits on asking how to say something?

This tool has no standalone weekly cap. Each inquiry you submit counts directly toward your account's overall allowance of 2,000 weekly AI operations, which covers all language model requests across Tomaru and resets every Monday at 00:00 UTC.

To learn more about importing material from external sources, read our guide on turning text and photos into flashcards, or explore the structural components of study entries in anatomy of a card.

Related questions

Why does Tomaru show structural knowledge points instead of just a translation?

A direct translation teaches a single static phrase. Breaking down a sentence into its knowledge points highlights grammar rules and usage patterns, allowing you to apply those same structures to new context.

Do cards created from requested phrases use the FSRS-6 scheduler?

Yes. Every card generated from a phrase inquiry enters your central review queue and follows your personal FSRS-6 memory schedule.

Can I review the grammar breakdown of a phrase during daily reviews?

Yes. The structural knowledge points and usage notes generated during your inquiry are preserved on the card and remain accessible during subsequent review sessions.